Wedding Blues
by nanu107
Summary: Snippets and many other things assault Pepper as Tony gets married, and not to her. PP/TS, some Jim and Jarvis, and a lot of insanity.
1. Dips

**Dips**

_"Check this out!" He screamed, entering the sanctuary of her small office. He carried a glossy magazine towards her, padding on the soft carpet as he went. AS expected she was sitting before her laptop, tying away whatever response whatever message required. She had been sipping something from a Starbuck's cup (probably bought before coming to his house to work, and hidden as she handed him his usual strong Mocha) and when she looked up at him almost spit it all over the desk. Not to mention the expensive laptop's screen. She had to turn away from him, in order to clean her lovely red face, making grim grin in approval. HIs plan was working. "I think is the best cover we made so far." He staid standing beside her, wearing a towel and his sunglasses._

_Nothing else._

_The arch reactor embedded on his chest hummed softly, glowing, quite literally on her face._

_"Mr. Stark, I think it's the only cover we shared. Professionally made, of course." She murmured, while taking the magazine from his hands. The glossy magazine indeed had her on the cover, along with Mr. Stark. The words "Power and Powerful, which is which' in bold letters beneath them._

_"Why didn't you tell me you make me look so good? NO wonder I keep you around." Her patted her shoulder, leaning on her desk with his hand. Pepper put the magazine next to her laptop and stared a it's screen._

_"Mr. Stark?"_

_"Yes, Mss Potts?"_

_"Why are you wearing only a towel?"_

_"I was at the pool, skinny dipping. Wanna see?"_

_"No!" She turned to hide her innocent eyes as he reached to untie the towel, what made him smile more. She was blushing! Actually blushing! "Please just return to your... dipping sir, I have work to do!"_

_"You're always working, are you sure you don't want to..."_

_"No!" He smiled broadly as she turned again._

_"Awright, I'll be leaving now, but I'll give you..."_

_"Not interested! She said return to her laptop._

_Humming Tony Stark walked away from the desk, only to have his towel stuck to it's corner and before he knew it hit the floor. The two living creatures looked down at the towel one blushing to the root of her already red hair and the other nonchalantly as usual._

_"You were really skinny dipping?"_

_"And it surprises you? We Stark men don't lie!" A long silence followed, in which he picked the towel up and she arched and eyebrow. "Well ok, we lie but only when we can save our asses from a nasty punishment. We lie as good as the next guy." And so he strode off, towel over his shoulder._

_--_

This takes place before the movie, a couple of years I'd say. I like to think Tony is always looking for a way to make Potts laugh, I don't know. Probably this approach wasn't the most succesful one, but hey, it's Tony. Anyway, read and hit review button, you know you want to. Thanks for reading.


	2. The Bimbo

The Bimbo

Where he met her was a mystery.

An honest to God and his entire angel's army mystery. But out of nowhere this... thing of the same gender as Virginia _Pepper_ Potts had invaded the privacy of the Stark Mansion and was moving about as happily as the cruel mistress of a slightly abandoned castle. Unfortunately she had taken upon the castles only two servants to have her own little frivolities granted. Those two been poor A.I. Jarvis, and Pepper. The A.I wasn't one to complain, at least not directly, but Pepper just pressed her lips together and would take a deep breath, moving about like a little bee to complete whatever task (no matter how ridiculous) in record time. Bring my slippers, where's breakfast?, summon Tony, order lunch, dinner, champagne, what do you mean Tony isn't coming?... Pepper was now sitting before her computer's screen, Blackberry at her side and answering e-mails, doing her usual work and seriously considering demanding a raise. Actually she just had to place the amount on her own record and wait for the next payday but a little honest to god fight didn't seem that bad at the moment. Suddenly Jarvis, sighed, actually sighed and called for her.

"Is everything alright, Jarvis?"

"I've seem to be in need of delivering a message, Mss. Potts."

"From?"

"Mrs. Chandler." Pepper rolled her eyes and turned away from her current work, fighting the temptation of throwing something to the other side of the room. "She request you find her golden earrings missing last night at the kitchen."

"She requests, Jarvis?"

"Actually she utilized some obscene language and I have decided not to repeat such words." Pepper could imagine the woman screaming her little brunette head off, from within her comfy room, while the butler just tried to be as polite as ever. Pepper felt sorry for the A.I., unable to leave when all she had to do was gather everything up and walk out. Suddenly the screen on the table in front of her came alive; Tony's face was staring at her from it's frozen confines. "_Potts, I need a little help down here_;" She almost swore he heard his gasp a little, and worrying got up "_Could you please_...?"

"I'll be right down."

"_That was quick_."

Pepper meant to do everything, but help Tony, once she went downstairs. And as she opened the glass door with her code she realized it was a completely different set of crystal panels, but she didn't mention a thing as she hurried down the little steps and towards Tony, who was tinkering away with something connected to his chest. "Ah! Slim Hands Potts, please." His baritone voice said with delight as she neared. A gasp escaped him, a little jump and he fell to his chair, as one would do when the doctor entered the room. "Just in time as usual. Help me get this thing off."

"What is this thing?"

"A new blaster for the suit, but it isn't working, it's gaspjump actually short circuiting this gaspjump hurry up please." She rubbed her fingertips together and grimaced as she saw how the cables were connected to his arc reactor, the blue light dimming and lighting up again and again. Like a bulb when it was dying...

"What do I...?"

"The blue line, you see it?

"Well you are not making this easy with the..."

"gaspjump Just pull Argh! Tenderly Potts, you have no idea what gaspjump ouch, woman!"

"There's pus again!"

"Not pus, gaspjump just pull it out, pull it!" They both gasped as she finally got the little blue line out of his chest and stared at each other. The arc reactor came back to a constant glow, apparently uninjured and his body stopped jumping. Relief covered the workshop and Tony covered her hand with his. "Thanks, I felt like I was dying there." He shook his arm and took the metal whirring and outline of what appeared to be Iron Man's new arm. "This crap isn't working."

"Maybe a new design? I'm sure you'll make it work in no time." He smiled, at her, a true Tony smile the ones reserve for quiet moments like this one.

"Your right, I'll be down here doing just that. Thanks Pep." She smiled and their eyes locked, warm spread through her chest down to her stomach and pooled. From that heat butterflies started to fly to her throat and a thick knot of butterflies build in her vocal cords constricting her ability to talk or even breath. When he suddenly smiled Pepper had to control herself from doing something stupid, like kissing 

her boss. "You're staring Potts." Pepper smiled and looked away just for a second.

"Would that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That'll be all, Mss. Potts. Jarvis, where's the scotch?"

"I have it lock away, sir." Said Jarvis suddenly making Pepper freeze, with a thick frown Tony turned in surprise. Suddenly the whole_ Matrix_ thing came to Pepper's mind; had they been taken over by machines already?

"You watch?!"

"Sir, I have locked your scotch away so I may have some guarantee that you will listen to us; me and Mss. Potts. I also locked you both down here."

"You locked us up?" Gasp Pepper looking up. As if the ceiling would answer.

"Yes, but listen Mss. Potts; I must complain directly to Mr. Stark, as well as you." Pepper looked at Tony who seemed angry. And swallowed hard. Seeing him in that desperate position of pain and failure in his work had made her almost forget about the situation upstairs. Standing on her full height (not so different from his) Pepper turned to Tony completely. This wasn't how she wanted to complain to Tony but if Jarvis had set everything in order, well... "Ready Mss. Potts?"

"Ready Jarvis."

"Does this mean I'm in lots of trouble?" Tony asked innocently, but then smiled devilishly. "Doe sit include spanking?" From the other side of the room the crazy arm pulled a hockey stick, where it got it from was a mystery, but it was going directly towards Tony. "Hey, hey, hey! Get away!"

"Mr. Stark; your current guest has been making our life quite difficult for the last three days." It was a miracle they lasted this long. Tony stared at the machine as Pepper spoke, but there was no doubt that he was listening. "I must remind you: both Jarvis and I work for you; not the people that you bring to live with you and can't seem to get rid off. So I will very much like if you went upstairs and settle this whole mess up before I have Jarvis ram something unpleasant up both your asses!" The last word was growled out, making both Tony and the robot arm cower away. Taking a deep breath she composed and smiled at him.

"Brilliantly said, Mss Potts."

"Thank you Jarvis."

Tony's mouth was open and a soft sound escaped his lips, Pepper smiled. "Thank you for your time, Jarvis."

"I shall unlock both you and the scotch Mss. Potts."

"And I'll be right up to fix the little problem."

"Thank you both." And so Pepper walked upstairs and towards her little work world.

Pepper was a lot calmer now, and Tony's hidden stanches were been happily raided as Jarvis opened the hidden cabines, killing whatever Tony had left of a brain after each night of long abuse to Tony's neurons. A week has passed by and no harassing from the woman still upstairs had come, which was good because to some extend she didn't even see the woman, but still... Sitting comfortably on the couch, while watching the flat screen for any untrue true that involved Tony, Pepper heard the intercom buzz alive. She didn't even have to look down to know who it was.

"_Mss. Potts you seem awfully quiet today, is everything alright_?" Asked his familiar voice, as something behind him came alive with static.

"I should be asking the same thing, Mr. Stark."

"_Actually I wanted to ask you a question. What's your right size_?"

"What?"

"_You heard me_."

"What are you up to?"

"_I can't tell its a huge surprise. What's for dinner_?"

"I have n..."

"_Good because we are going out_."

"We? Whose we?"

"_Me, you, Rhodey, oh yeah and that girl still dropped on my bed_."

Silence.

"_Hello? This thing not working again_?"

"I heard you."

"_I know, everything I build does not break. We'll talk later_." And so he was gone, or his voice at 

least. Pepper frowned; whatever this girl was doing to tony seemed to be good, WAY good, because so far they hadn't broken up. And it was starting to alarm Pepper; another woman in the Stark household.. Bizarre. Even Rhodey had said so a few days back when he'd dropped by and Marie Chandler was the one to greet him instead of Pepper. As she drafted another message for the board Pepper yawned.

"_Ho alert_." Murmured Jarvis, making Pepper stop typing.

"Jarvis?"

"Mss. Potts?" Asked a soft feminine voice, making Pepper suddenly turn. _Oh, look who decided to join us, sleeping beauty_. Said a little voice next to her ear. "Good morning." Marie Chandler was an exceptional beauty; long curl, soft hazel eyes, slim figure with dangerous curves and a beautiful smile. Through the week Potts had learned a lot about her; Harvard graduated in physics, currently working for Stark Industries for the Arc Reactor project, good at partying, cooking and almost everything else Pepper couldn't really do. And had Tony Stark.

Pepper hated her.

The thought surprised even Pepper, but she smiled.

"Actually good afternoon, Mss. Chandler. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I.. thanks." The woman giggled.

Pepper couldn't giggle.

"I bet you are hungry. There are some decent bagels in the kitchen, so please feel free to have them."

"Actually I wanted to ask you something; have you seen Tony? I need to tell him something about the..." Pepper smiled sarcastically and turned once again to the other woman

"Mr. Stark is currently working and does not desire to be interrupted. Any messages can be delivered through me." Said Jarvis, as Pepper turned back to work.

"Oh, right. Ok, then tell him..." And Pepper couldn't hear her over the typing of the most important message she had ever had to answer: a _'what character of The X-Files are you?_' test thing. She turned out to be Scully.

Marie was still talking, something about physics Pepper couldn't understand, and there was an equation mixed in the entire thing too. For a second there was envy in Pepper's blue eyes, turning them almost baby blue... Almost. She held herself through several meeting with the scientist, asking questions and finding out how difficult this whole Arc Reactor project really was (all the while wondering how the hell in hell did Tony got to build such complicated thing in a cave?). By the time she woman was done some show showing Tony Stark and his new girlfriend walking to a cafe yesterday started.

"Hey, it's me."

_Yes, bimbo, it's you._

In Latin America Bimbo was the name given to cookies.

And very well known too; there was the sandwich kind with white cream, there where chocolate chips, and coconut flavors. They even had a special package that tasted like ice cream. They also had cakes and muffins for lunch breaks and kids. Especially for kids that liked sweets. Pepper knew this after a little exchange student program she'd joined at the university and had always found the differences between terms amusing. Marie Charlotte Chandler was a little package of Bimbo. Probably chocolate chip because they seemed to last longer than the cream sandwich ones. And Tony was that little boy that had just got the best dessert in the world. Pepper knew this; he finally found someone he could sit down and talk for hours (she'd seen them as she worked) about physics and engineering and other more private stuff that Pepper could blush by even mentioning.

They had just returned to the mansion after dinner and Rhodey had gone to the garage to check out his suit. Pepper opened her laptop to check one last time for messages ("_Tsk, tsk Potts, you should learn to have fun and stop working_") and sat down. She had watched the entire evening as the two of them sat and ate and spoke and leaned down towards each other as a couple in love would, and realized they seemed to be growing closer. Pepper had laugh at a few jokes, drank only water and almost puked after the second bite of the expensive plate she'd selected, even when she couldn't remember it's name. Rhodney seemed to approve to them, although he did glance at her a few times during dinner, in the most strange manner; almost as if he were sorry for her. Why would he be sorry for her? She was happy for Tony, really. Movement at the corner of her eye made her turn to the balcony, where Tony was leaning on the railing scotch in hand and Marie...Mss Chandler leaning close to him. The huge surprise was that they were now going to be dating steadily. Oh joy.

Too bad Bimbo did not come in pepper flavor.

Suddenly something dawned in Pepper's stomach and tears threaten to swell in her eyes.

She was loosing Tony.

Of course the notion was ridiculous: pepper has never had Tony ever, EVER. But this, his house, was their own little world. And now he was sharing it with another woman, someone pepper would have to get use to and share Tony with Marie _her_ Tony. The Tony not everybody saw, the one that was childish and drunk and cute and so handsome while sleeping, if the gods every blessed her with such sight... She had tears in her eyes. Swallowing hard, Pepper smiled bitterly.

She was halfway to loosing Tony and had no way of fighting this.

"Pep, are you alright?" Asked suddenly Rhodes, sitting by her side. Pepper turned to the military man, eyes wide and full of tears. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Pepper?" Asked Tony from the balcony, turning o watch the scene in worry, his sound sounded distant, so far away from her. Quickly Pepper was on the move, picking everything up and closing her laptop. Her high heels her phone, her bag, everything she fit in trembling arms and biting her lips controlled her raging emotions. Why was she suddenly so sensible?

"I have to go. Thanks for everything."

"Mss. Potts."

"Bright and early tomorrow, Mr. Stark. Rhodey always a pleasure." And with that she hurried out, the door slamming behind her.

"What was that about?" Asked Rhodey staring at the door.

"What did you do to Pep?" Roared Tony walking to the living room, apparently angry at his friend.

"Hey, chill man; I came upstairs to find her like that!'

It took two hours to get ready the next morning. Mostly because she hadn't sleep a bit during the lonely hours spend in her apartment and because she couldn't find what to wear. And everything she tried on that morning didn't seem to make her look good enough. Too short, too long, too much cleavage, little cleavage, little height, enough height... it was an emotional rollercoaster that she had tried to avoid for years. She even avoided it during high school and now didn't seem to be the correct time to face it.

Pepper Potts was late for work. She had never been late for work. Ever. Even when deadlines were killers and she had only slept a few minutes before the clock went off and she felt like the raising death moaning and stuff while dragging herself from bed. If she ever touched bed. Hurrying out of her silver Audi, Pepper saw the door open and an already dressed Tony Stark walking out, arms spread and worried.

"Where were you?"

"I'm sorry, I ran into heavy traffic."

"You had me waiting. I can't believe you had me waiting. Where's you cell phone I been calling you for an hour?"

"What? I don't..." Her face went pale, very pale, and Tony actually had her sitting on the living room and almost called 911. "I left it home."

Oh this day was going from bad to worse.

After a quick stop at her place to pick up her blackberry (and change her shoes that broke as she walked to the car), they arrived 35 minutes late to his first meeting, she forgot to delay lunch and the signature for the solar energy installation. Tony was having a ball out of it, and even had a few drinks with her (the only thing to calm her down was a scotch, amazingly enough) and when she was drunk enough he drove her to the mansion. As she got out of the limo the laptop fell to the ground and broke in two pieces, and something inside it made it sound like a maraca. Tony almost laughed but seeing the distress in her face just covered his mouth. Pepper didn't walk through the door, instead she went around the house. Tony frowned, and saw her feet apparently give out and made her tumble, it was a miracle she didn't fell she looked down and inspected the problem: her shoes were broken. Again.

She didn't seem angry anymore. Tony followed, by now worried, and saw her take off her shoes her nylon breaking gin the process, and cringed. What the hell was wrong with her today? Unbeknown to him, Pepper was keeping from crying and wondering the very same thing. She threw the shoes to the wastebasket at the other side of the driveway, for once something went right and they entered the tall trash cans, and she curved around the house. Her security code was patched in and she opened the gate to the pool.

Behind her Tony was still following.

She walked around the pool ignoring Marie as she went, who was sunbathing naked, and climbed to the board from where the most amazing dives of her life had taken place, or at least dive watching she didn't care much for diving because the sun usually burned her lobster red. At least not here because she loved swimming, and a lot... Tony followed and by now very worried saw how she just walked right into the pool. "Argh! Pep!" He said before jumping to the water, and picking her up. She didn't even fight him, she just let him drag her to the stairs and then onto the nearest chair. By now Marie had gotten a towel around her slim body, and was donning her glasses. Pepper just watch them both over her, Tony wet Marie very brown, and coughed. Of course she had jumped in purpose, there was something about the Potts and water than seemed to calm them down, that's why her two brothers were in the navy, her sister was the second runner up at the swimming competitions back home and Pepper was the champion in said sport, even when they became lobsters. Their parents used to make fun of tem because of that calling them 'Lobster Kids', yeah they would have lots of laughs out of that. Something cried out one last time and died in Pepper's pocked, and pulling it out she growled.

"I fucked up my blackberry." Fitting considering how bad thing were going today.

"You almost drowned and you are worrying about you blackberry?"

"Let me check..." Started Marie as she try to lean over Potts.

"Don't touch me!" Screamed Pepper, apparently very angry. Then the P.A. Sat up and tried to curl up tightly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I'm just...not me today."

"I could tell." He answered, very sincere. Pepper growled and turned away, almost in dismay as Tony laughed. "Hey, now, don't be like that. It's not every day you get to see Virginia Potts acting all mess up, I actually enjoy it." Pepper glared at him. "A lot." More glaring. "Aw, come on, I have bad news. Don't you want to be happy? Don't you?"

Pepper was almost afraid to let him finish.

"Marie and I are engaged."

No way, no fucking way, not even the Pacific ocean was going to calm that down.

"And we want you to plan the wedding."

But it sure could crush her body as badly as her heart was right now.

--

Well hello! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Check out soon for more, ok? Take care and remember to leave through the review button, alright! Have a good one!


	3. Memories of my Old Car

**Memories of my old car**

_Queen Day was the most memorable day within Pepper's agenda._

_She wasn't sure how many times this had happened, or when the next was suppose to take place. They were always a surprise that seemed to cheer her up no matter how down she was. Since she came to work as Personal Assistant to Mr. Stark, Pepper Potts had become the worse enemy of half Malibu and the rest of the world. Considering all her enemies were women in general. That was why they threat her too coldly and seemed to drive their cars over her, or make fun of her... But the benefits from working in said position were good. Great dental, great 401K, amazing technology to back her up._

_And seeing the good looking bachelor each day wasn't that bad either. But she wasn't that kind of girl; he was work, all of him. So she hadn't raised her hopes too high when it came to having Tony Stark. Evelyn, her sister, had mentioned that she would last in the job long enough to have him seduce her and then marry her (because Pepper Potts did not believe in one night stands). She was old fashioned (much to her father's joy)._

_One of the other benefits came when all of Anthony Edward Stark's credit cards landed on her hands. Quite literally too; he just came into the office, bid her good morning and tossed the wallet with (at least) 10 credit cards towards her. "Sort that, will you please?" He said, before leaving to God knows where. She had shamelessly used the credit cards on her own behalf (not true, she could actually point out the 3 purchases she'd made so far with them, and she'd had them for two years). The other good point was that when Tony wanted her for himself all day long she would just get there and do everything and anything he wished to do._

_Nothing too personal of course._

_One of said days he wanted to go shopping, for whatever, and wished her to drive him. No matter that he had his own personal driver waiting in one of the most expensive limo's she'd seen, ever. And he opened the door for her and turned smiling, until he saw her Honda Civic parked in front of his house. He seemed horrified by it. He was horrified, his cry of fear was loud and clear._

_"What in hell is that?"_

_"My car, Mr. Stark." She answered casually pulling out the keys of said vehicle and unlocking it. "Get in."_

_"I am not getting in a commoner's car. Where's your BMW?"_

_"I'm sorry?"_

_"Don't you have a BMW?"_

_"No, Mr. Stark. This is my trusty car." Hell, two years working for the man and now he notices her car? Oh yeah, they're usually using his cars. He gagged, actually gagged, and took the keys from her hand, throwing them far, far away. "Hey!" She heard the small _plosh_ they did as they sank in the pool._

_"Come now, Mss Potts, we'll take my car." He took her wrist and guided her to his garage, they quickly found his most recent acquisition: a red jaguar, and were on their way. "How can you drive such car around? This is Malibu and you are my assistant, aren't you ashamed?"_

_He seemed truly offended._

_"No."_

_"You represent the image of my company. I am the king you are my queen, so we are going to get you a new car." The queen comment blew her off, but the car purchase made her eyes widen and turn to him._

_"You don't have to buy me a car, sir. I can just have Happy drive me around."_

_"No, Potts, we are getting you a car and that's final!"_

_"Tony," He stopped at a red light, and turned to her. At some point that she didn't remember he'd don his glasses and was staring at her. "I don't want a car from you."_

_"Good because it's from Stark industries. And I don't want it back, consider it a birthday gift."_

_"My birthday was a month ago."_

_"Oops." He said as the light turned green and he speeded his car again. Soon they were at a car dealer (a very expensive one too) and Tony was talking to one of the sellers. He'd ordered Pepper to go look around at any car she liked, as he discussed specs and other stuff with the boys. Pepper couldn't believe how small this cars were, and how expensive... She could never have him buy her one of these babies._

_The Audi's were beautiful, specially the silver ones. Another seller approached her and smiling greeted her. "Would you like to try it?"_

_"What? No! I couldn't it's too expensive." She said longingly._

_This was a definite improvement from her Honda. She almost felt sorry for owning such thing. The seller smiled at her, and started to tell her every single feature of the car, moving her about the vehicle as if a dream come true, until she was anxious and sitting with her hands on the wheel. The leather felt good, the seat was comfortable, the insides were beautiful, it was just her size, and the space was incredible comfy considering how small it looked from the outside. If she drove this bad boy her heels wouldn't get stuck on the pedals as with the Civic. She molded with the seat, and pictured herself driving down route 66, the wind playing with her hair, he sun the freedom..._

_"Like what you see?" Said suddenly Tony, appearing at her window and breaking the fantasy with his huge grin. "It is a lovely car." Pepper suddenly realized where she was and quickly got out. "I was actually thinking of taking one myself..."_

_"Let's go you have some shopping to get done."_

_"Now now, what did I tell you? First your car then we go shopping."_

_"No, it's too expensive I can't accept..."_

_"Too bad I already bought it."_

_Silence. Someone brought him some papers, which he signed, and Pepper reacted. "What?!"_

_"This Virginia Pepper Potts, is your new Audi. Enjoy it."_

_A set of keys was handed to him, and he gave her one. "I also bough me one, but I'm sure you won't want yours fixed for racing right?"_

_"Huh?" She answered dumbly, looking at her own keys._

_"I thought so. They'll change it every two years, if you want. I know I'll want to." He handed back the papers to the seller and smiling turned to her. "Now, my queen, what shall we have for lunch?"_

_People could hate her, and even made fun of her in order to try and get away from her current line of work. Even her mother had complained about her work, she could rarely see her sister now, and her brothers never really liked Tony, but when that man's lips opened and those two little words: _my queen_ left him she felt like the best benefits in the world were having him as _her_ king._

_Although she wasn't too happy when two and half tons fell on her car to keep it from running ever again, but that was a story for another time._

_--_

_This of course, happens two years after Pepper starts working with Mr. Stark. He's already too dependant of her and it's almost sad she has to drive him around, oh anyway... Review! thanks for reading._


	4. The Perfect Dress

Chapter 2: The Perfect Dress

For some bizarre reason, the wedding had to take place in three months. And even when Pepper tried to use reason against Tony so he could hire someone else to plan said wedding the Stark would not hear of it. Marie had also wanted to find someone else, but Tony just waved his hand at both of them; "If someone can build me my perfect wedding is Pep, no more on the subject." And now Pepper had to literally juggle with Stark Industries, the guest list (only on Tony's side the list was long enough), meetings, Jarvis, Rhodey (who for some reason was staying over for the month) and damage control.

"I swear one more mission of yours and I'm getting the can opened to kick your ass, Tony Stark!" Screamed Pepper as she went down the well know set of stairs, punched her code and hurried towards Tony's desk. Behind them the suit was being cased away, quickly too, as if neither Jarvis nor Tony wanted her to see the bullet holes it had. "Where have you been?"

"Out. What's for dinner?"

The need to slam her clipboard over his head became evident and she almost did it too, but he set the icepack over his head and walked to the fridge against the far wall. "Relax, I'm fine. Just a checkup on old friends."

Afghanistan, that where he was. Taking a deep breath, Pepper placed the clipboard over his desk. "You have a meeting in two hours."

"Cancel it. I have some repairs to do."

"I wish I could but no good. It's with the judge that's coming over to marry you."

"Ah." Said Tony suddenly stopping mid movement. He quickly resumed picked a bottle of coke and unscrewed the cap.

"Yes, remember; he said he wasn't going to cancel. And that if he had to put out a search warrant to this house to take the suit from you he'll do it too."

"Can he really do that? I meant, been my property and stuff."

"You are a private citizen but you must also abide by their rules, Tony."

"Where's Rhodey?"

"He went out for lunch. Why is he staying over?"

"His house is going some repairs and stuff. I don't know. He's my friend he can stay over."

"That's not it, i estimate him greatly, he just... Is hard to juggle with him and Marie at the same time."

"Mm, you gals are in first name bases now?"

"No," She took a deep breath, Tony was walking towards the stairs now but Pepper wasn't moving.

"Are you coming?"

No, She was tempted to answer. For once she wanted to stay down here, where only those welcome in the world and by the computer system could enter. Everything was calm and quiet, while upstairs seemed like a loud buzzing was eating her alive. Besides she deserved a little break. Picking her clipboard and wishing to go home, Pepepr followed.

No one dared to stay down here with out Tony; it was _his_ sanctuary.

"What's in the agenda for this evening Mss. Potts?"

"Marie wished me to join her and a few friends (the bridesmaids) to find her perfect wedding dress."

"Mm, can I join...?"

"You'll be busy enough with the judge sir."

"Hmm." And so they went upstairs to the loud buzzing that was threatening with her sanity.

She had no idea why she had agreed to join this crazy troop into the nearest dress shop. A bunch of Malibu rich girls lead by a Chocolate Chip Bimbo with a Stark credit card. They tried almost every dress in the store and Pepper sat along with Marie as they modeled each and every single one. Satin cotton, hand crafted, stitched whatever they found was tried out, and there were literally thousands more to be worn and inspected. It could take days for them to raid the entire stock.

Pepper's head was killing her. Between the "_Oohing_" and "_Ahhing_", she developed a minor migraine and sudden worry for Tony's present status. Unable to get away to make a phone call to check on him, Pepper had to take a deep breath and continue the dress approving or disapproving. So far no dress had been approved. After three and half hours, three ragged shop ladies, and a lot of whining, Pepper was 

ready to call it a day.

"Boo!" Said Tony appearing behind Marie, making her jump and both of them turn quickly. He laughed at Marie's surprise and they kissed, making Pepper turn away. Rhodey was behind the man, and apologizing without words. Pepper just smiled at the man and looked down at her cell phone. 13 missed calls.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Marie in surprise, as her friends gathered around Tony Stark.

"Well I was in the neighborhood and decided to join the ladies." Giggling and hurrahing was heard. Pepper just rolled her eyes. Now there was no way in hell she'll be able to slip out and away to get some Tylenol or a glass of water. "Any luck finding the perfect dress?"

"Not yet." And Marie went on to explain how the dressed did not fit her personal liking and how they were either ugly or too big and something else Pepper didn't listen to because Tony was looking at her. Intensely so, just openly staring at her with brown eyes and dark intensions. Pepper fumbled with the phone in her hands, and let it drop, just to get away from his stare.

"Why don't you find a dress, Mss. Potts."

"What?"

"Yeah, you are always finding the most sensible solutions; and I say you'll find the perfect dress. Come on, dress up." The girls around him, and because he had said so, gathered around her like little nymphs and lifted her from the couch. Agreeing all the way with him.

Pepper knew this girls hated her guts, but if Tony Stark said she'll find the perfect dress then they believed him. Pepper was taken to the storage of dresses, where three ladies were sitting fanning themselves and looking tired. The seven girls moved about searching for more dresses. The girl with the name tag Janine looked at Pepper with horror, as if a monster had stepped into her fairy world and was trying to eat her alive. Someone whispered "oh no another one", and then silence.

"oh my god..." She looked around at the dresses and smiled.

"Well hello." And she was invited to find a dress she liked. Pepper almost felt bad for the ladies. Although a few minutes later said ladies were all over her, seeing how she as different from the Malibu bimbos around her, and were pressing on for her to wear a special dress. The Perfect dress. And after she saw it she did don it, quite gladly too.

It was a lovely dress; in pearl white and conservative. But it hugged her figure in just the right places elating her curves and dancing down to a skirt of waves and pearls and the veil that covered her face and hair. It was a beautiful dress. When she came out, showing her selection the room came to a standstill; every single set of eyes turned to her (even other brides looking for their own dresses come to look at her). Every girl squealed with delight, while Rhodey clapped at her. "Wow, Potts, you always outdo everybody around you." He mentioned softly, smiling.

Tony didn't say a word, but stared at her with wide eyes. Pepper felt elated, happy, proud of her selection. It was such a beautiful dress and it would go so perfectly with the cake thing that was suppose to happen. The flower around it would make it glow and only the groom would get to touch it. Pepper almost fell to a dream where this was her dress and she was trying it on herself, the groom wasn't suppose to be here, but either way... The wedding march hummed softly on her mind and the picture of her walking down the church alley carrying roses and baby's breath and smiling because her groom had turned to her and was giving her that stare of surprise and love and considering her the most beautiful thing in the world in that dress. Would he believe her how easy it was to find it? No he wouldn't, and would ask her all night how she really got this dress that made her look like an angel. Tony was that groom in her mind, and he was giving her that stare.

And that made her uncomfortable. Marie got up, breaking the trance and stood beside her. "The perfect dress for the perfect wedding."

And Potts turned to her. The realization that this dress was not her sank, and Pepper turned away from Tony, almost disappointed. "It is a beautiful dress," She murmured coming down from the small platform she had stood for long enough. Hurrying backstage she heard the girls complain on how fast she'd modeled the dress and how perfect it was. Even a girl asking if they had that dress in other sizes... Everything mingled and died away as she arrived to the fitting room, and the hostess Janine smiled at her.

"Well? How did it go?"

"They loved it!" Pepper said, suddenly raising her hand to cover her mouth from the sob escaping her. She calmed been given an odd look by the girl. "They loved it, I think they are taking it."

"It will look so good when you put it on for the wedding. Just a little adjustments..."

"It's not for me. It's for the woman in blue." She quickly pointed out, as Janine and the other three working girls peeked to look at Marie.

"Are you kidding? We though you were the bride, the way the groom looked at you and all."

Pepper, behind the veil bit her lip, and held back a sob from escaping her. "Help me to take it off." She said walking to the corner her clothing was neatly folded. "Help me I said!" She demanded as Janine just jumped and started to unbutton the dress. _Get it off, Potts, it's not your dress_. Her mind screamed, violently at her tender ego. _You'll never wear such an expensive nice looking dress._ Janine finished with the back of the dress and Pepper let it slid down to the floor where it became a perfect mess of silk and pearls. She longed to gathered it up and threat it gently, but in her current state all she did as kick it away and hurry to the pile of her own dark clothes. They felt safer than anything else in the world right now.

She sobbed as she put them on. Her cell phone fell to the ground and Pepper picked it up looking at it's screen.

18 missed calls. Maybe one of them was from her own destiny.

The cake had been decided by Tony would be devil's food cake, but he wanted it to be almost red because red was his favorite color, covered in white and pearls. Pepper didn't had such a hard time fulfilling this request, it was only a phone call away. But Marie wanted it to be a white cake, not red. So after witnessing a battle between groom and bride to be, Pepper took a deep breath and knew (absolutely knew) he would win this one.  
He always won, because he was Tony Stark and always got what he wanted.

She could truly say this was the first fight they had. It was immature, silly and possibly affecting the whole outcome of the wedding. So Pepper called the guys at the cake shop and told them to make half the cake in devil's food and the other in any white mixture. She didn't' tell either of the conflicted parts, so it would be a surprise and everyone got what they wanted. Smiling and pleased with the way things were going, Pepper sat and stared to answer e-mails, in a specific time frame, before going with Marie to select the menu for the reception. She had never worked so fast and felt so drained since she started working with Mr. Stark. CNN was blaring before her but she wasn't really listening, and the blackberry phone started to hum.

She as surprised to see it was her sister's number.

"Hello?"

"Vivi! Where are you? Please tell me I just interrupted some steamy sex session with that gorgeous boss of yours."

"I'm fine thank you, and you Eve?"

"Alright, what are you doing for lunch tomorrow? I want to see you."

"Actually I have to go pick up the invitations for the wedding and then find Mr. Stark's tux..."

"You are getting married and you haven't invited us?!"

It took some time to get her sister to calm down, and Pepper almost set the phone down over her knee. When the other Potts calmed Pepper explained the whole situation to her youngest sister.

"I have to see you now, what are you doing today for dinner?"

"Busy, but I can clear dinner tomorrow for you."

"Good, 8 o'clock my place. And please if you can bring champagne." And her sister hanged up. Just in time for hr to see Iron Man cruising the skies of some sandy town in the mist of war. Pepper gasped and turned to the stair leading to the shop and then back at the flat screen.

Alright, that did it! She was getting the can opener!

Holding onto the bottle of very expensive (very Very Expensive) champagne Tony had gotten for her for worrying over the whole other side of the world war mission thing Pepper walked to her sister's door. Evelyn lived in the suburbs, very comfortably with her husband and child, happily married and in constant honeymoon. Virginia didn't visit because at some point she felt jealous of them; somehow Evelyn knew this and didn't blame her. Not after she met gorgeous Tony Stark. Content with their long distance relationship, Evelyn got her to visit at least one every month so they could catch up and be homely with David her husband and Daniel their son. Pepper had neglected her for five months now.

The door opened before Pepper even got to the porch. "Vivi!" Said Evelyn happily opening her arms to receive her sister (and the champagne) warmly.

"Hello Eve, How are you?"

"As you can see, happy! Come in, quickly I want you to tell me all about this impromptu wedding 

thing. David, look whose here!"

And so the visit started with hugs and kisses and lots of talk.

By 11:00 Pepper had had the best home cooked dinner in years, they were halfway through the champagne and the plates of dessert were all over the table. David had taken Daniel to bed, and Pepper had told Eve all about the wedding plans. And the dress, and cake and well everything.

"Bastard." Said Eve looking at Pepper, very angry.

"He's not that bad,"

"What? EH's treating you like crap and you are defending him? I can't believe it!"

"He's selfish, that doesn't make him a bad man."

"It makes him a bastard."

"Oh, Eve I'm not fighting you tonight." She picked her glass of expensive champagne and heard the buzzing nearing her from the other side of the city. "Besides I'm only his employee."

"He said you were his queen once and now he's doing this?" Eve was angry. "Viv give yourself your rightful place."

"And what is that place?"

"You should be the one getting married not planning it for some… some slut only God knows where he met."

"Be rational, what good am I as his wife?"

"You are already married to him!"

"I don't..." Her cell phone rang, and they both turned to the black berry. Sure enough there was Tony's picture. "I'm not married to him." Another long buzz. "I have to answer that."

"Go on." Another buzz. The phone went dead. "Oh, Viv, what went wrong?"

"With what?"

"Between you two?"

"Nothing did, we are friends." Eve stared at her in silence. "We are, we are the best of friends, and that it. He doesn't want me that way. And I rather have him as my friend that not have him at all." A long silence followed, the buzzing left but there was a shattering heard in the distance. Metaphorically speaking of course. The sisters stared at each other, blue meeting deep blue and suddenly Pepper swallowed hard. "What do you want me to say, Eve? That it's my wedding I'm planning? That it's my dress she'll be wearing? That it's my cake she'll be cutting, that it's my man she'll be sleeping next to for the rest of her life!"

"It's not fai..."

"No It's NOT Fair!" Pepper gathered herself, as if trying to hold onto her sanity with a deep breath. She cleaned her tears of her face and turned to look away arms crossed tightly over her chest, keeping her hands from trembling. Slight movement from Eve's side issued and Pepper didn't turn; her sister was coming closer. "no." Murmured Pepper as the other Potts gathered her in her arms and pressed her against her shoulder. "No. No, let me, no." And Pepper broke down. "Oh, Eve. Tony is..." And sobs wrecked her body almost in half.

Eve was the only thing keeping it from breaking.

Sitting on her sister's guest room, the sun raising up and filing the sky with light, Pepper took a deep breath. She wasn't sure how long she'd cried but she'd gotten everything out of her chest. And now it was morning and she had to leave quietly to go work. It was the first morning that she feared going to work, unable to tell what was going to happen. Another heavy load was setting over her slim shoulders, and Pepper could tell no matter how much she cried it wouldn't leave her. It was like placing it on a hat rack and returning every morning to pick it up.

This was killing her. Smiling she opened her laptop and called forth a new document.

Typing her address and header Pepper just started at the document before her fingers danced on the keyboard.

_To whom it might concern;_

_ I hereby present my resignation effective immediately to Stark Industries..._


	5. Hostage Situation

**Hostage Situation**

_Pepper Potts had to be very grateful._

_Having worked four almost six years with Tony Stark, the Merchant of Death, had been rather interesting. She had traveled the world, tasted almost every countries' cuisine, seen wonders (although she had to keep quiet about them) developed in labs and sit next to the most wanted bachelor in this side of the country had gained very envious looks. But work had not allowed her to enjoy a second of it. Not true, she usually enjoyed in a quiet, conservative manner. She had also avoided many dangers of the normal life; identity theft, broken down car, debt eviction, etc, etc._

_Although right now her luck had seemed to run out._

_Taking a deep breath while handcuffed to one of the rails of the huge bank Pepper had to add; hostage at _bank robbery_ at her _Done for Tony Stark List_. After all he was suppose to be the one here, handcuffed while she was suppose to be having lunch at a bistro across the street. By now lunch was over anyway._

I wonder if Tony is even aware I'm here_. She wondered, looking at the thief in charge of watching her side of the hostages. But really where was she suppose to run off to with four inches high heels and handcuffed to a rail? Thankfully none of the robbers had looked at the documents on the desk she'd been sitting at. She had covered the Stark Industries logo successfully but if they found out she was the Pepper Potts... Who knew what they could do._

_So far they had been making demands through phone, her phone at that, because it was the only one that had any signal bars rose within the confines of the stuffy bank. Was it her or was this bank getting hotter by the second?_

_Keeping her eyes down in purpose yet glazing up at any appropriate moment, Pepper saw three robbers, all guided by a fourth much more violent man. He was the man shouting orders, and cursing this and that way. It was sad to watch the scene really; knowing that at any moment police would move in and stop them._

_The sound of feedback came to live outside the bank, and a police officer stated that they wanted to help the robbers, not to harm them. At first they requested they freed the children, as an act of goodwill. The robbers, that weren't very bright, did as asked, and all the children within the bank were released. In total there were only three children._

_Pepper was glad they were out of harms way, and sorry she wasn't five anymore. Soon the boss of the small gang slammed the phone down and a stack of magazines fell from the side of the desk on top of Pepper's lap. She bit her lip in order to stop the cry of surprise that almost escaped her. On the magazine right in front of her were Tony Stark, and herself. It was an old magazine, and she didn't remember it very well._

_But it was a recent picture. Recognized almost immediately, the robbers picked her and the magazine up._

_"Hey! Look! It's Stark's Bitch!"_

_"What?"_

_Suddenly Pepper only wished to be in some remote island, alone and safe from Tony Stark._

_From outside Tony's voice was heard, loud and clear through whatever amplified the cops had used earlier. He was demanding HIS Pepper back, at any cost._

_"Just name the price you sons of bi... No I Will Not Calm Down! (Silence) Do You Know Who I Am!?" The amplifier was taken, or so Pepper heard, from Tony's hands and the police started to apologize (Don't Apologize!) and wished to continue negotiating (Do Something!) Soon the demands changed and instead of the money they asked the state, they asked it from Tony Stark. An the money was such a sum she doubted even Tony would pay it (How Much!?). Gun pointed at her back, now free of handcuffs, Pepper was forced to stop before the Bank's windows, just to prove to the police she was fine. The sun hit her eyes and she turned away, but when she returned she saw the barricade of police cars, a black car (Stark3), Tony standing besides a cop raving, and Rhodey trying to calm him down._

_It was good to know something's don't change while under pressure._

_Soon she was back on the floor, gun pointed dangerously hard against her skull. Oh, she could almost see the headlines:_

**Stark Industries top assistant murdered at bank assault**

**Tony Stark later seen with blonde bombshell**

_Pepper rolled her eyes, and could also almost hear her mother's voice all the way from Florida:_

I told you Mister Tony Stark will get you killed, but you didn't listen. You never listen to your mother who worries for you more than anyone in this world! Oh dear god and what about your lack of a love life, I'll never have grandchildren at this rate...

_Why would Pepper want to hear that anyway?_

_She was about to die and all she could thing was of her mother complaining about her not having children? But now that she though about it, it was kind of sad. There would be no child to miss her, or look like her or her husband. What husband, Pep, you live for Tony Stark not some guy who comes home and asks for dinner and sex... What was sex anyway? Her last ahem session was so short she could have sworn it ... _Oh My God! I'm About To Die!

_Wasn't her life supposed to pass before her eyes or something?_

_She couldn't move._

_Suddenly all ability to move had stopped and an incessant ringing attacked her ears, and unable to cover her ears with her hands Pepper screamed into the farthest region of her mind. Eyes wide and without the ability of her own muscles to hold her up Pepper fell back to the floor, pain raiding each nerve of her body. Her breathing panicked, a thin sheet of sweat covered her body and if she could, she would have start trembling. Pepper's face fell away from everybody, towards the side of desks where the magazine with her picture had fallen; it was ironic how happy she seemed to be standing there, smiling towards Tony._

_The door to the bank was opened with loud bangs and shouts. The ringing stopped, and every single hostage was silent as they were rescued. Within minutes police officers swarmed the place, and the SWAT team started to pick everyone up, comforting words been told. Pepper knew, something deep inside the locked part of her business mind, that the weapon used against this robbers was barely two inches big, created by Tony Stark himself to freeze the body with some sort of vibration... Tony had invented it, but it wasn't approved by the government._

_Why was it that when everything seemed so bad her world drifted to Mr. Stark?_

_Someone picked her up, and not just check on her, but to lift her and carry her out of the bank and onto an ambulance. He demanded she was inspected thoroughly, and taken to a hospital immediately. When her face was turned she realized it was Tony speaking._

_Pepper Potts was within his embrace, been checked by an EMT guy and totally frozen._

_"Come on! Hurry up she might have a fever!"_

_"Why do you say that, sir?"_

_"Look how red she is!"_

_--_

_Another little past snippet of Pepper's carreer at running Tony's life, this little beauty took place a year before the movie. Hence the little paralizer thingy. Did anybody got the name for that thing? Sure came in handy in this story. Remember to hit the review button, thanks for dropping by!_


	6. The New Look

Chapter 3: The New Look

Another classy fund raiser.

Another boring evening. Wearing a dress that made her look classy Pepper stood surrounded by business man and women and their partners. Tony was with Marie at the other side of the room, scotch n hand and bored. Although he seemed to be making jokes and having a good time, she knew he was bored out of his mind. Specially by how his pinky moved under the glass, how he seemed distracted as other spoke, and how he was from time to time stealing glances her way. Pepper knew it was only a matter of time before he decided to take the party somewhere else and smiling excused herself from the people around her to move towards Tony. But Rhodey had other plans.

"hey, pep, wanna dance?"

"No." And she was in the dance floor swinging to a soft tune while Jim holding her. She smiled. "How are things in the Stark Household?"

"Jarvis misses you." He said as they moved around the floor, moving gracefully. "And Tony's almost living inside the shop."

"I imagine things like that would happen."

"Can I ask you a private question?

"Sure, Jim, But I don't' think me coming back to the house will help any."

"No that's not it, actually it is but not like that."

"What is it?"

"Well is just that... I've been staying at Tony's for a while now and God I hate that woman! Do you too?" Pepper looked up at him in surprise and smiled. She was glad she wasn't the only member of this hate club (Jarvis had gladly joined but he wasn't present, in body at least) but to have the first breathing member in Jim was a delight. But before she could answer a voice came over them both.

"May I cut in?" Asked Tony, standing behind Rhodey. And the military man gave control to tony over the dance before moving away. "So, how have you been?"

Listening to his voice in person was so much better than to have him on line for hour without end, him quiet and playing with some tricked while she typed answers furiously fast. She smiled and looked at his tie, it was completely askew. Proud as he could he continued to dance, staring also at her. "Very well thank you." Unable to help herself she started to fix his tie, hoping that no one would capture the moment in camera, and of course it happened, just as she was finishing the bow Rhodey snapped a picture of them, giving them the thumbs up. If Pepper had know better she would say the whole thing was planned why she was away.

She hadn't returned to her office at his house for two weeks, she deemed it proper since he was living with his girlfriend, soon to be wife, and their privacy was most important. And besides if she was going to leave...

"I've been a little lost without you Potts. It's been a long time since I've felt this way." He was taking about feelings? Iron Man, Feelings? What? "Why don't you come work at the house again?"

"With you about to marry I deem it inappropriate, sir."

"Call me Tony, you haven't call me that in over a week."

"Sir," The music ended and Tony did not release her. "Thanks for the dance."

"What happened at your sister's?" He said, not yet releasing her, but staring to dance with the beat of the new music.

"Nothing much, just dinner."

"Why did you stay over, then? You could have returned home early if it was just dinner."

"We ended up a little buzzed with the champagne you gave me. My sister says thank you by the way."

"Hmm." And the dance continued, she knew he knew it was a lie, her sister and Mr. Stark hated each other. They were quiet for a while, and then he spoke again. "How are the plans for the wedding?"

"Smooth, thank you for asking." And she looked away, seeing Marie was staring at them. There were daggers thrown by said eyes were missing them by inches as Mr. Stark was slowly moving through the dance floor completely oblivious to the hate stare. Pepper couldn't' help herself. "Your fiancée is a really lovely girl."

"No she's not, you and Jim both know it. Thant's why Jarvis hate her, Jim hates her and you most of them hated her from the very beginning." He dipped her, and with the trust between them, 

Pepper wasn't surprised or scared. "I don't even know why we are getting married."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, Potts. Want a little fresh air?" He said, rather hopeful. Pepper remembered the Disney event and closed her eyes. She couldn't allow him to ditch her again.

"I need a drink actually. Excuse me." And with that she walked away from him an to the bar. He followed suit, and to her disgust he leaned over her as they stood by the oak counter.

"Scotch, and a extra dry extra olives martini."

"Yes sir."

"Extra fast." And he dropped a highly obscene bill over the counter. The bartender gathered the money and hurried for the drinks. "That is how you take it right?" She was touched he even remembered.

"Tony, why don't we go dance?" Said Marie appearing behind him.

"In a minute, Marie. That was it, right? Nothing else?"

"Yes, that was it." And she gave him a knowing smile, he cleared his throat and lead his fiancée out to the dance floor. Pepper wasn't sure if he was speaking about the drink or dinner with her sister. She downed her drink in one gulp and saw them dance. Marie was laughing and as she leaned onto Tony's shoulder his eyes returned to Pepper's. _Oh God, he knows..._

Jim was too drunk to drive. Tony was too but one was more used to see Tony drunk than Rhodey and it was slightly disturbing she was the only sober one in the back of the limo. Pepper ordered Happy to drive home and without a word the ex-boxer moved the limo through the city. Glad the ride was't a long one, Pepper looked out the open window, trying to fan out the smell of booze and musk. Mainly the booze, musk she still wasn't sure why she was smelling it. Before her were Rhodey, amazingly enough downing a bottle of vodka and to his side Marie whined that she wanted said vodka. Pepper sat perfectly annoyed as Tony suddenly fell against her shoulder, apparently sleepy. A moment of silence followed, and suddenly Tony got up, cleared his throat and looked at Pepper right in the eyes.

"Potts will you sleep at my place tonight?"

"No, sir I have to get back home before midnight to check on the Wayne industries development. They are beating your company sir."

"Stupid bat-boy." Or something like that was murmured by Tony. "You can do that from my place, Jarvis'll help."

"Thank you but no sir."

"Tony."

"What?"

"Call me Tony. I order you to call me Tony." He whined like a brat. The more she focused on the bad of him the better it would be. "Pep, I don't want to marry." He suddenly whispered, very sober. He was looking at her with clear eyes and she could almost swear he hadn't drank that much in the fundraiser.

"Why did you ask her to marry then?"

"I didn't, she did. Something of spinsters and stuff."

"Then why did you agree?"

"Do you have any idea how hard is to find a woman who doesn't find this," He said pointing to his chest at the reactor, "Disgusting?"

"I don't' find it disgusting." The words left her mouth before she could even think.

"I know you don't." He turned away, pulling himself to the other window, and rolling it down so the cold breeze could hit him. "I know you don't." He repeated, probably to himself.

So this is about insecurities? This whole wedding thing because Marie was the only one who liked his arc reactor thing? He seemed to be lost in thought, and quite hurt, but Pepper didn't say anything. A snore broke them of their rambling thoughts and they turned to see Jim with his head back, asleep. Marie was resting her head on his lap, unconscious as well.

Once they got home, his home actually, Tony got out of the car and picked Marie up.

"Come on sleeping beauty, time for you to go to your enchanted tower. Don't move Rhodey I'll be right down to help you."

"It's alright." When Tony left Pepper decided to wake the colonel up, and called his name. Once, twice, nothing. She shook him and made loud noises, nothing again. She decided to slap him, and that seemed to work like a charm.

"Swear to drunk I didn't take the chips." He looked around himself, frowning. "We are not in the party?"

"Nope, it's time to get you to bed, so come on." She got the tall man to exit the car and when nothing else worked to use her as support to get him to bed. He was heavy, for a man over 6 feet tall and in the military he was way too heavy. "Have you gained some weight?"

"No but you lost some woman, my mom will probably feed you day and night till you got fat and plump."

"Then it's best I don't visit her, right?"

"Hell no, she's dead." He hiccupped and Pepper smiled. They entered the house and Jim gasped. "Ohhh they stole the lights, who stole the lights?"

"Jarvis will bring them up right away sir."

"Jarvis took away the lights?"

"I'm sure I can put them right where I took them from, Colonel Rhodes."

"Jarvis, don't you ever sneak behind me like that!" And so Pepper dropped Jim on bed, where he turned and rested on his back. "I'm such and old fart." He mused loudly. "Don't you think so, Pep?"

"But you are wise, aren't you?" She said taking off his shoes.

"That's a way of saying yes, Pepper." He struggled with the tie's knot and Pepper had to stop him before he strangled himself. "You are a saint girl, Tony doesn't deserve you."

"Doesn't he?"

"No, but I'm rooting for you of both. I think you'll make the best couple in the whole wide world." He said holding her hand and looking into her blue eyes.

"You and the whole E!Channel seem to think so." She kissed his forehead and smiled. "Go to sleep Jim, I'll see you in the morning with a glass of water and some aspirin."

"Again, a saint!" And with that he was gone.

"Old fart." A sinker made her turn and Pepper saw Tony standing on the doorway. "He's an awful drunk don't you think?"

"No, he's just... Melancholic that's all."

"Horrible, horrible drunk. Come downstairs Potts, we'll have some coffee and..."

"I have to go actually."

"Pep, don't. Please." She walked out of the room in a hurry closing the door softly, and looked at Tony. He was actually begging. HIs eyes, his whole frame, his entire constitution seemed weaker for some reason. "Two weeks without you are enough, don't you think?"

"You have Marie, sir."

"I don't want Marie. Just come downstairs and have coffee with me."

There was a time when they would come home from any big celebration and if either had had anything to drink (once Tony admitted he did drank in order to have this little time with her) they would make coffee and she'll bake something sweet to eat. Cinnamon buns, muffins, French toast, whatever he asked for and if they had the ingredients would be made and eaten while talking over silly things. It was a little closing ceremony for this kind of nights and for them. She had missed one, and although she was awfully tempted to stay and follow through with it, Pepper decided to miss this second one.

"I have to go." She started to walk away, as fast as her high heels would allow (and it was pretty fast), and almost reached the door, when Tony grabbed her wrist and pulled her against the nearest wall. He held her on place, brown eyes finding blue orbs filled with fear.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"Avoiding you?"

"You barely come to work any more, you spend your days as far away as possible and you hate my fiancée, why won't you come have coffee with me? Why are you avoiding me?" He laid down the fact simply as possible, too drunk to discuss with big words whatever happened to her but too sober to let it pass. Pepper swallowed hard, his closeness was starting to betray her. Tony smelled of himself, and whatever cologne he had used earlier was nearly gone, it should smelled cheap compared with this; grease, scotch, man. She leaned forward, and leaned onto his shoulder smelling him, not the tux, but Tony. When she was done smelling she leaned against his neck, gasping for sanity. Pepper's breath was hot against his skin, and he released her wrist, but wrapped his arms around her; her arms and waist. Tony smelled her too, and his hands were caressing up and down her back. They leaned to the wall and soon things got out of control and he was kissing her; ravishing her was a more correct term.

His lips were soft. His goatee tickled her and Tony sighed pulling away.

"Yes." She hissed, eyes closed and unable to believe what was happening.

"Pep," Tony kissed her again and there was a little buzzing in the back of her head, but she shove it away with her feelings; feelings of Tony and his lips and his hands wracking havoc on her senses and she loving every moment of it. Whispering her name again, Tony picked her up and Pepper wrapped her legs around his waist. Groaning, Tony started to walk, and within moments he was lying her on the dark cot in his workshop. By now groping, Pepper's mind was going a hundred miles an hour. This felt good, but it was wrong, he was about to marry for crying out loud! His hand slid down her arm, finding her hip as it jumped from her fingers. Gray matter became goo in her head and a soft moan escaped her lips. _Get out of here before you become the lover, Pep._ A little voice sounding like Jarvis and Emily attacked her. Y_ou're still on time to get out!_ "I love you." She said softly, making him groan with delight.

"Me too." They stopped kissing and their eyes met. "I love me too." She laughed and he chuckled, and they looked at each other. "I do, I love you too." And he leaned to kiss her again. HE was been so truthful it was heartbreaking, and the softness of his kiss was a dead giveaway. Pepper started to cry, as his hands try to undress her, but they were fumbling, actually fumbling, and unable to do any good.

Here they were, caressing like teenager and confessing things that wouldn't come out if they hadn't fought over some time alone for her... And she was the other woman.

She sobbed again, and pulled away. She buried her head on the pillow he kept down here, smelling all of him, keeping Tony at arm's length. Again she sobbed and closed her eyes. This couldn't' happen. Getting up, Pepper sobbed loudly, and realized she was missing her stalking and her dress was halfway undone. She was completely covered, but enough was revealed to both his mind's and physical eyes.

"What? What is it?"

"I'm sorry, I can't."

He gave her a look. She could describe it as '_you are denying Tony Stark what?_' look. It was cute, really, but pepper couldn't give up to those eyes. "pep I..."

"I'm so...sorry. I can't, I have to go." And sobbing she left the house. She boarded her car and hear the front door open as she brought the engine to live.

"pepper!" He called once, or twice, she wasn't sure as she drove away.

"Did you call tony and tell him what happened here?" Said Pepper hurrying her sister's steps to her sister's house and into her sister's face. "Did you?" She was still wearing her classy dress and ruined makeup. The blush from having Tony touch her and red lips were the first things her sister saw and looking her over at first her sister frowned.

"I called him and gave him an earful nothing more!"

"And where in hell did you get his phone number? Don't you see he's a genius he'd figure out what's happening and if I'm going to quit he can't figure out nothing!"

"you are quitting?" Asked her sister in surprise. Pepper closed her eyes, curing herself from opening her mouth and took a deep breath. "Oh my You ARE Quitting!" The older Potts calmed down, and sat on the small swing chair her sister had installed in the porch. It squeaked in protest but Pepper ignored it, and with her legs moved the hanging chair.

"The day before the wedding I'll hand over the resignation letter. It's irrefutable. I'm quitting." She turned away from Eve, and smiled.

"I Can't Believe You! You are giving him up to to...some whore!?"

"I'm thinking about moving out the states, probably Europe. Go far away, far as possible from Stark Industries." It was as if Pepper hadn't hear her, just staring dumbly forward and smiling. Eve decided to try and get some spine into her sister's broken down soul.

"You do know he has a lot of money and he'll probably go out to try and find you."

"He'll be married by then, doesn't matter what he does he'll have something to hold him down." There was a long silence.

"Nothing holds Tony Stark down. You told me so yourself."


	7. Drunks

"Remy? Remy where are you?" That was all Tony Stark heard as he entered Mss. Potts apartment. Silently as possible and using all his stealth moves (that weren't that many) to glide through her apartment without been noticed he listened as Mss. Potts searched around the livingroom. A man, she had a man here?

Who was the bastard?

As she moved to the kitchen, Tony hid in the darkness of her shades, quickly regretting it because the sun was very bright outside and his siluette coudl actually be seen through the shades. He groaned as quietly as he could and heard her gasp with delight.

"Ah, there you are, Remy. Why were you hidding?' She hiccuped.

Hiccup?

"Come to mama, oh yes darling you and I," Short pause, "are going to have the time of our lives." She giggled and murmured some more words to Remy, making Tony clench his already clenched jaw.

He was here in a mission of forgivenes. The day hadn't actually been such a good one, one month after having announced he was Ironman Tony Stark made one of his first public appearances and so every reporter, paparazzy and curious human being was after him. He managed to rise Mrs. Potts stress levels to such an extent that by lunch she actually walked into his office and announced her two weeks notice.

"_Notice of what_?"

"_I'm quitting Tony Stark! I can't handle this anymore_I"

"_Sure you can!_"

"_No!_" At this point she slammed her hand on his very expensive desk, sending several objects to the ground. "_I cant! Find someone to memorize your Social Security Number, asshole!_" She was breathing hard back then and the comment just slipped from his mouth;

"_Mrs. Potts you look so hot right now..._"

She screamed and fell on the chair before his desk, looking as if she were about to burst into tears. Of anger of course. She then went on, apologizing for everything she'd said, explainin gher anger and why she was taking yoga lessons, and holistic massages just to find her inner center and how it wasn't working.

"_You are taking Yoga?_"

"_The thing being,_" She said trying to change the subject. "_I'm going. Home. For the day_." And so she got up and left.

Actually left. Never in those long years she had worked for him had she left midday for home, with just those words. Of course the was the thing with her mother's cancer, and then her sister's wedding, but to actually leave and leave him... That was such a thing!

So at the end of the day, and being able to slip through the crowd of reporters unnoticed mainly because he wore a janitor's suit over his own suit, Tony Stark drove to Virginia Pepper Potts apartment and found her with a fling.

Oh my god those news were worthy of the Enquirer!

"Felipe, ist hat you?"

And now some latino! what the...?

"Don't be jelous I was only giving him a little peek on the cheek!" Why did she sounded so slurred? Did lust did that to Mrs. Potts? Stark's mind wondered into the realm of posibilities and soon had to shake off all the images his hiperactive himd conjured up. Suddenly something crashed and Pepper cried out, making Tony escape his hidding spot and hurry to the kitchen. What he found puzzled him exeedingly.

Thre was Mrs. Potts, wearing the same outfit she'd wore to work, no shoes though, with a bottle of Scotch on one hand and a bottle of white rum on the other. Her knees were on the ground, a glass dropped beside her probably broken and it's content spilled.

Where was Remy? Or Felipe?

"Mr. Stark!" She said wiht a smile, falling to one side to try and get up.

"Mss. Potts are you drunk?"

"Me? No!" She hiccuped. "Alright maybe a little."

I did this to her? Anger boiled against himself, inside himself, and Stark mentally kicked his ass.

"Come on, Mss. Potts, let's get you something to eat."

"No, I'm fine." She slurred out, taking the hand he offered. The smell of the spilled drink had attached to her clothes and Tony wrinkled his nose. "Would you like some, sir?"

"No, I"m triying to quit remember, you asked me to quit."

"Awh come on, just this one last time, I"ll quit too." And so as she spoke she served him a glass (where did that glass came from) of scotch. A very full glass.

His mind was suddenly at a crossroad. If he drank this he would loose all the weeks he'd been fighting temptation at his own home; all those minibars and hidden staches of scotch that were waiting anxiously for him. If he didn't drink Mss. Potts could actually pout. Could she pout anyway? He'd never seen her pout. Focus, Stark, Focus! A little voice, sounding amazingly like Jarvis said in the back of his head. But Mss. Potts had placed the glass to his lips and dip it. The alcohol that escaed his mouth tainted his crisp white shirt, jacket and tie, but what did got into his mouth burned with the pleasant taste of scotch.

Oh, I missed this.

What the heck a drink with mss. Potts couldn't hurt! Right?

Think again Stark!

On his third round of tequila Mr. Tony Stark knew things weren't going as he had expected to. Of course he had expected Mss. Potts to suddenly sober up and stop his drinking, or that he would take one glass and call it a day, or maybe get plastered and do some kareoke. So far they had played trivia pursuit two times, her winning both times (all those years of watching MTV, E! and such channers were finally payin goff!), and attempted to eat something beyond penuts. Maybe they should stop?

"Mr. STark. are we plastered or what?" She said giggling like a little girl. IN his inhebrieted mind Tony stark smiled. He liked this pepper.

"Nah, were still wasted, I'll tell you when we are plastered, awright?"

"Awright." She repeated, drawing her sixt teqila shot.

"Wow, slow down, mss. potts. NOt fair."

"What?"

"I was about to steal that shot from you."

No, things were not going as expected.

"Let's sing."

"Do you have a kareoke, here pepper?"

"No, but I can put my itunes in shuffle and see what happens."

"Awright." HE said, as she crawled to her laptop and booted the system. It loaded incredibly fast and soon she was fighting the system's mousepad to load itunes. Been less wasted (but still wasted nonetheless) Tony was forced to open the program. Pepper took the oportunity to drink what was left of the Remy Martin. "Hey hey not fair!" Complained tony, after all that scotch was his favorite. Pepper swallowed and laughed at him.

"Jeremya was a bullfrog

Was a good friend of mine

I never understood a single words he said

But I help him drink his wine..." That was the only thing that made Tony turn away from pepper drinking his remy.

"Obadiah was a bullfrog

Was a good friend to dad

I've never understood a single word he said

But he teach me drink my scotch"

Tony was singing, and he didn't even like kareoke. Instead of shuffle they had set the song on repeat and it's been a good half hour sinse they had fought the evil Jarvis living in her laptop and lost. She was laughing her pretty redhead off, while he sang completly out of key. The next paragraph was ignored, as she complained in a need to go pee, and Tony double over laughing. From the bathroom she continued to listen to his own interpretation of the song.

"Joy to the World

To all the boys and girls

Joy to the men in titanium alloyd

Joy to Mss potts too!"

Dropped on the couch, backs pressed together, and having paint this toes fusha Tony wore his sunglasses and Mss. Potts fetherly throw, while she wore her shoulder massager and all the rings she could find in her jewelery box.

"I haven'tg had such good time sinse before Afghanistan." He murmured softly, looking a the cealing. Tony wiggled all his toes, he reached around the floor and found a toy ukelele Mss. Potts' niece had left around and strung it's cords. "Obadiah was a bullfrog..."

"I don't think I can drink any more." She moaned, her head leaning against his shoulder. While she spoke her hand reached around the floor and found a bottle of heineken. Sipping it she groaned. "Mr. Stark, probably this is the alcohol talking, but I have to tell you something very important: You have the cuttes ass I've seen in a long time."

"I find your ass is pretty cute too."

"Oh, god we should not be having this conversation."

"Don't worry, Mss. Potts. Come morning, I doubt I'll remember."

"Ok, we're plastered." He laughed out, now wearing the same fetherly throw, sunglasses and a burgerking crown. He was still sittin gon the couch, unnable to walk or even stop laughing while Mss. Potts searched through her fridge for something decent to eat that didn't require heating up. Dealing with the microwave right now could mean death to both of them.

"Chocolate?"

"Sure."

"Too bad, I'm out." He started laughing again, some part of his brain wondering if he was drugged wth Rohypnol or something. Maybe even weed. Ridiculous you haven't even light up a cigarette! "I do have, cheesecake," She said thriumphally, appearing at his side with two spoons and a huge new york style cheesecake. He stared down at the cake, and then up at her, who suddenly seemed very serious. "Do you think I'll dull the pain of the hangover?"

"No." He took the spoon from her and dug into the very center of the cheesecake.

Twelve hours later.

A male groan that sounded more like an Oh God, was heard in the quiet living room at Pepper Pott's apartment. It was followed by a whine and possibly the sob of impending doom of knowing the hardest heaache in over eigh months was hitting the neurons he'd killed last night. Tony sat up, pushing away the Dora the Explorer thrown over him with disgust and looked around himself. Th eapartment was a mess, a huge mess. They've apparently ransaked the closets to get whatever they got. an empty cake platter sat on the living room's table and several female artifacts that he could only guess were for pedicure or manicure were scattered around, the laptop had run out of battery and was open yet off, and his shoes were handing form the curtine. _What the...?_

His eyes fell on his pink toenails and fighting nausea covered his eyes.

"Oh, god, what did we got into?"

Pepper was nowhere to be found. Of course the retching sound coming from the bathroom wcould only mean she was as hungover as he was.

He needed aspiring, he needed water, he needed a tictac for heaven's sake.Figthing every muscle in his body, Tony "Iron Man" Stark got up, to discover he was missing his pants.

"That's not good." They were besides his shoes, along with his tie and jacket. And Mss. Potts fetherly throw that was.

He knew it! It was Rohypnol!


	8. The Bachellor's Party

Chapter 4: The Bachelor's Party

A week for the wedding, and it was a weekend.

Pepper was having a hard time looking at Tony in the eye, and he seemed to be enjoying searching for hers. Now mainly focused in the e-mail answering, Pepper ignored both Rhodey and Tony as they entered her office, chatting entusiatically about some plans for the weekend. Tony flopped besides her on the couch, as Rhodey moved to the small fridge she possessed hidden at the back of the office for a soda.

"Hey, Mss. Potts." He said softly, touching the silk of a ribbon attached to her skirt. _Probably wondering if it's undone so will her skirt_, Pepper looked at him, or the general direction he sat at.

"Hello Mr. Stark."

"Lovely seeing you here."

"Why thank you, Mr. Stark. You missed two meetings and a phone call from the Chinese branch..."

"What are you doin tomorrow night, Mss. Potts?"

"Your laundry. They said that if your plans for the reactor are ready..."

"You must come to my place tomorrow, it's my bachellor's party." Pepper finnaly turned to him, eyes locking with his.

"No." Rhodey returned, sitting at Pepper's desk with a Dr. Pepper in hand, and smiled at their conversation. "I already told you Mr. Stark, sinse you are getting married I should not drop by to visit; with your girlfriend there and all..."

"Ah, she's not going to be there. She's gone for the weekend with her friends." Rhodey's answer came hurried, and he smiled broadly after he finished. _The Bimbo variety that accompany us to wear dress after dress_? _Oh_. "So you can drop by without feeling remorse."

_And after you get too drunk and pass out Tony will probably trap me in his workshop and have lots of bunny sex..._

"I rather not, sorry."

"What, you've got plans or something?" Asked Tony turning to smiled at her.

"Probably I do."

"And probably you're lying. Don't lie to me, Potts, you know how much I hate it."

Pepper smiled. "That's better, so we have Pepper confimed, who else needs inviting?" He said, turning to Rhodey without missing a bit.

"Just a question, Mr. Stark; how will my precense there make things better? I'm just so not very convinced that been surrounded by men with hormone excees will make... Oh God I'm not the striper, ain't I?"

There was amoment of silence, and then both men roared with laughter. "No, Potts," Said Tony trying to stop laughing. "But it's a really good idea. So," He got up, seeming to be enjoying his little idea and started to walk to the door. "Seven o'clock, sharp, Mss. Potts."

Rhodey walked with him and for a second there, Pepper though they were making fun of her.

At ten to seven, Pepper was parking her exclusive car before Tony's door. Damn her sense of attendance when it came to Tony Stark.

_It's ok, Potts, it's one of those final meetings_...

Smiling, Pepper quieted the motor and looked around herself. She sure was going to miss this car. A soft double tap made her turn to her window and saw Tony wearing his sunglasses and a glass of scoth in hand. It was dark outside why in hell was he using those glasses? Unless he was already plastered... He moved his fingers quickly, instructing her to come along, and she nodded, picking up the little blackberry and opening the car.

"You're late." Said Tony, turing to walk away.

"I'm sorry? It's seven sharp, like you said."

"No, Potts, it's 7:01, never be late again, alright? Ok, let's go party." And he downed the drink and hurried inside. Loud music was playing and Pepper took a deep breath to greet the men Tony probably invited over. Her high heels were still on, actually she had just time to fix her hair with a small comb she kept at the office, having coming directly from there. Her skirt was ironed with her hands, and clearing her throath Pepper stepped into the house.

It was empty. The music blared on, and she was dimly aware of Jarvis greeting her, sounding a little sore, as far as an A.I. could.

"Where's everyone?"

"We are everyone, right Rhodes?" And then Rhodey came to view, wearing his swimming trunks and apparently very drunk. _Oh no_. Tony didn't even seem to be buzzed, as he moved quickly through the house and towards the workshop followed by both Rhodey and Pepper. "The party is actually down here." And when they went to the shop they found it lighted like a disco.

"Oh, man this looks like the disco we visited at New Jersey, remember?" And Tony was trying to shut Rhodey up. Soon they were just drinking about, at least the two men, Pepper had gone down for the count at the couch in front of the flat sceen attached to the wall. She refused any drink beyond Sprite, munched on several of the fried things Tony and Rhodey kept making at the small kitchenete and listened to stories from the MIT years. Specially of Tony making fun of Rhodey. Although Jim did had some good ones that were hilarious, specially theone with Tony running about the campus naked after inhaling some green substance with his room mate.

"So you guys never shared a room at the MIT?" Asked Pepper sort of surpriced.

"Are you crazy? He spent more time talking than working, I couldn't even concentrate with him ten yards away." Answered Rhodey quicky, as Tony sat on his desk, beer on hand. They were currently having Tostitos and some green and white dip that Pepper had claimed tasted awful, but was consuming for dear life. The music had come down a bit, actually a lot, and they were just talking. As friends would.

And they usually did when it was just the three of them. "And now the crazy sonafbitch is getting married." Mused Rhodey after a quick sip of his own drink (a mixture of questionable origins, concocted by Tony himself). "I always thought I would get married before him."

"And you might have if you haven't screw up with miss March." Said Tony on his friends direction, making Pepper arch an eyebrow.

"Now, that wasn't my fault and you know it."

"I had her crying all over me that night. Booze and snoot in the same glass is not nice."

"You also screw her that night, didn't you?"

'Wasn't that the idea?" They laughed and Pepper turned from man to man in surprice. She didn't even question what they were talking about. Soon Rhodey was complaining about feeling sick and in the bathroom pucking. Both Pepper and Tony stared at the closing door, frowning. "Horrible, horrible drunk."

With Rhodey passed out in the couch of the workshop, Tony had decided to stop the music and work on his suit, silently. Pepper was dozzing off at the chair by Rhodey, and finally deciding to go home, she got up. To her surprice Tony got up at the same time, their eyes meeting and quiet. To break eye contact, Pepper looked down at her clock: 11:45, early for both their standars.

"Late for your date, Potts?"

Pepper turned to Tony and shook her head. "No, for my beauty sleep."

"You can use the guest room if you want." Suggested Tony, gaining movement and pulling an old rag to clean the polish cream from his hand.

"Your party was, out of the ordinary, Mr. Stark. But I have to go home." She picked her shoes, and with her hand rubbed her neck. Her steps took her to the door, her back to Tony and Rhodey. "I'll see you Monday..." Suddenly Tony's hand was on her forearm and pulling her close, dangerously so. Her shoes dropped to the ground, making a loud _clog_ as they went.

"Jarvis." Soft music started, and Tony was moving her softly, side to side. The lights dimmed, the disco ball above them started to move and they were bathed with a thousand dots of different colors. Pepper tried to pull away, but Tony would only tighten his hold on her. "Really Potts, I thought the party was great."

"With just me and Rhodey, we are hardly party material if you ask me."

"My best two friends and some booze, it's enough for me." Pepper chuckled nervously, and replayed this morning; thank God she had remember the deodorant.

"Well, then it went perfectly as planned."

"Not quite." And Tony leaned, just slightly, to her left. "I still lack the stripper and final fling." Pepper turned away, still dancing with him, and realized Rhodey was snoring. _ Thanks for the help, traitor!_

"I told you, Mr. Stark, I won't strip for all the money of the world."

"Then how about stripping for the man who loves you?"

The words stunned her, and looking at Tony's brown eyes was almost lost. Tears threatened to build into her eyes, but she kept them at bay. She cleared the butterflies at her throat and smiled.

"Well if he were here..."

"He is here." The tears just came to gloss her eyes, and she had to turn away, practically escaping his scutinizing gaze.

"Please let me go."

"Pepper, please, wait..." She pulled away hastily from his arms and composed herself. Things could get out of order really quick; this was the reason she had avoided the mansion for two weeks, _l have avoided him because of this.._. And she ached in every single cell of her body his name was imprinted, and she needed him close, but it couldn't be.

"Mr. Stark. You are getting married in seven days, six in 34 minutes. Please, don't do this. Neither of us deseve this."

"I'm going to cancel the wedding."

"No."

"I don't love her, why should I marry her? I want to marry you. I love you." The words hit her hard, and Pepper did what her emotions dictated; she cried. Turning and hurring to the door she pushed it open, and started to go up the stairs. "Pepper! Pepper come back, don't do this again!"

"I'm avoiding you a heartache, Mr. Stark. Please."

"No, you are avoiding _us_ Pep, please." They reached the top of the stairs and he spund her around by her arm. "_We_ can be real just say the word!"

"I don't want to. I won't hurt her to get you!"

Her nobility was facinating, and Tony smiled. "You are so beautiful."

The mess melted away and Pepper looked down at her feet.

"It's over, Tony."

"But _we_ haven't even started."

"Mr. Stark, Mss Chandler has just arrived." Announced Jarvis, soft voice breaking the tangled web of their emotions. Pepper walked to the kitchen, and when the door opened and Marie entered the house, no sign of Pepper was seen.

A few minutes later, Tony escaped Marie and hurried to the kitchen. Pepper was hidding in the darkness of the room, sitting and sipping a can of something she probably found in the fridge. Tony walked to the chair across from her, and took the can away; Heineken.

"I never picture you as the Heineken girl."

Pepper looked at him, tears were streaking down her face. "You never asked."

"I don't want to see you like this ever again."

"Soon you won't have to worry about seein me at all."

"What?"

"Nothing, Tony. Go to sleep."


	9. Dog

When the door to the Stark mansion opened and Pepper stepped through it, she had expected things to run smoothly (as possible) today. But noooo... Things when dealing with any Stark did not went smoothly. Maria Stark was a saint putting up with two at the same time! At the signs of first light that morning Tony had called to ask for a caramel machiato and a dozen donuts. She complied with the request and received another call from Tony that he also wanted a struddle. Was he pregnant? Suddenly comming up with this rare cravings... Stepping into the house Pepper was greeted by the AI butler and then frowned.

IT was quiet.

Too quiet. Balancing everything she carried until set safely on the kitchen's table Pepper started to get worried. "Jarvis, where's Tony?"

"Currently three feet from where you stand, Mss. Potts."

"What?" She said turning around, seeing no one. "Jarvis are you...?"

Tony actually jumped up from behind the island of the kitchen, screaming. In result she scremed too. Pale and angry Pepper hurried around the island as fast as her four inches heels would allowd and hit Tony on the shoulder. He laughed the whole time, not covering from her attack.

"Don't you ever do that again!" She called loudly, holding a hand to her chest. "You scare me half to dead!"

"Sorry. You should have seen your face!" He continued laughing until the smell of coffee hit him. "DId you get my...?"

"Yes, on the table. And thank god I didn't throw it all over the floor."

"I'm sorry. Hm, donut." He picked the donut and bit into it, no remorse showing on his face. Potts noticed he was still on his pjs, and realized that today was going to be one of those days. Yesterday he had announced his repairs in Mark III were done, and he was resting before resuming work in Mark IV, she had been happy because it meant he would probably wish to work... but she had deluded herself. Specially when he asked for that sleeping pill before she left last night. He had his battery charged fully and now with that sugar rush the machiatto and the donut would give him...

She was in for a wild ride. Oh, God, be merciful please...

"Potts,"

"Yeah,"

"Why so pale? I didnt' give you a heart attack, right?"  
"Not yet, Tony, not yet."

"Would you stop that?" She asked, entering her office with him following close behind. Tony stopped cowering away. True to her memory, Tony had done everything humanly possible to become her shadow during the last five hours. Pepper took a deep calming breath and turned, walking into her office and sitting down. Ten seconds later Tony entered the office and slid into the couch across the room, playing with some trinked he'd found in the livingroom. Pepper slid into her chair, reading some memos she'd printed a few minutes ago and heard Tony making soft explotions sounds, just like a child would when playing with and action figure. Over the rim of her reading glasses Pepper looked at the man (child?) playing on the couch and almost gagged. His trinked was an iron man action figure. Again another explotion and Tony made the sound of his propulsor jets firing and the Ironman action figure flew out of the window.

"I'm bored." He announced, waiting for just one second after the figure had vanished, head resting on the couch in a mess of dark hair. "Let's play."

"You already played with your toys, Tony. I'm trying to work." She looked over at him, and considered what she had just said. He wasn't like a child, he was more like a dog. One of them furry, playful and strongly attached dogs that never left their owners alone. Like those the old ladies got; a shitzu? was that the name? But with Tony's temper it would be more like a chihuahua. Pepper snikered quietly, and continued working.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Nothing, why won't you go tinker away for a while, Tony?"

"Nah, I rather be with you." He fixed the couch beneath his body by digging his body into the leather and used her sweater (the one usually laying around) as a pillow. Within minutes he was asleep, with the cold AC working perfectly and the soft music playing from her itunes it was only a matter of time. Pepper worked for another hour, until she stoo dup and looked at the man dropped on the couch. His hair was messy. And unable to resist the sudden urge she petted his head softly. He woke up because of her touch and surpriced looked at her, eyes glossy but quickly focusing upon her. If he were a dog he would have whinned with delight.

Her stomach suddenlly growled and looking at her watch Pepper saw it was past lunchtime. Stretching and groaning softly Tony yawned. Pepper shoved down the need to call him _good boy_,

"Do you want something to eat?"

"Chicken sounds good."

Pepper laughed, remembering her thoughts, and he got up, gruffy and almost growling, to follow.

He was more likle a golden retriever. Spoiled and well kept.

And in horrible need of grooming.


	10. The Reprise

Chapter 4 : The Reprise

Three days for the wedding and doing what in her mind was the last run for the bank to steady any sort of business for Stark Industries Pepper enters the bank in haste of caffeine and lunch hour. The traffic was hellish and so was the line for the reception and taking a calming breath (that didn't' work) she turned to Happy, who mentioned something about depositing some paychecks and smiled. "Well, it looks like I've got a line to get into."

Happy only nodded. "Tell you what; give me the checks and I'll deposit them. You go make sure Mr. Stark makes it to the press conference."

"Are you sure Mss. Potts? I can wait if you want."

"No, no, just do me that little favor and I'll call you as soon as I'm done here." At first Happy wasn't too convinced but looking at his clock and with urgent business from Pepper's side he decided to follow her plan. He handed her the envelope with his information and checks and left. Pepper took a deep breath and got in the line for the reception, purse tightly held on her shoulder. She looked around and smiled; this had been the bank her first robbery as Stark's broad was witnessed. She couldn't never forget the place, although now redecorated and more technological it was the same place she was held hostage, handcuffed to a railing she could easily identify and the windows that used to be exhibition stage where she was pushed to by some lunatic. Another deep breath, that did the calming for her nerves, followed to the dawning of this knowledge and Pepper smiled, really smiled as she remembered how the whole thing turned out to end; her in an ambulance completely frozen and Tony haranguing some poor guy about her having a fever. It warmed her heart.

"Alright nobody move! This is a stakeout!"

And so as she turned to look at the robbers that had just decided to make their move in her watch and smiled. how very fitting.

With her face plastered almost daily in every newspaper in the state, it only took minutes for the robbers to find Pepper among the hostages. And history repeated itself quite smoothly; in her head past the shock and in the side of irony (who seemed to be having a drink with annoyance) a single comment was whispered; _let's get this going so I can be present for the 2:00 appointment!_

The hour spent within the bank went by slowly and Pepper spend it ignoring a little kid that wanted to know more about Iron Man. She was in no mood to speak to children, now don't get her wrong she loved kids, but not other people's kids.

Outside the police had arrived, and she was pretty sure Iron Man was on his way. Specially if Happy had told Tony that was the exact bank Pepper was in. It was only a matter of time. And suddenly 'boom' and the barrier of sound as broken before Iron Man landed before the building. Wasn't he suppose to do something heroic and incredibly stupid like land inside the bank and rescue everyone but specially her in the process. One would expect so when he confessed to her so deeply while kissing her...

_you are running away with yourself, Potts. _Apparently that's her way for dealing with highly stressful situations, just run away with your own thoughts.

Lifted by her hair, quite literally and painfully so, Pepper was dragged to the front seat; the crystal clear windows. Again the sun attacked her and turning slightly away, Pepper heard the distinctive collective gasp that came with realization. Turning to the big crowd outside she saw police, happy and right in front of her; Iron Man. The huge robot's eyes seemed no narrow as it's head lowered slightly.

"_You alright Pep_?" The mechanized voice asked softly, but before she could reply she was thrown backwards by the robber.

And it proved a big mistake because by the slight miscalculation of a few feet she landed against one of the oak desks. She heard her own scream echo in the bank, gasps following by the other hostages and then darkness. All hell broke loose after that.

She came to herself again when something hard was lifting her limp form from the floor, and someone was calling for her, incessantly so. She turned her hurting head and the migraine she'd been holding at bay for three months hit full force to hit her. Iron Man was carrying her.

The bank was a complete mess.

The robbers were on the ground.

Tony's face was staring down at her, worried.

Paramedics were trying to take care of her but she was taking flight and in the hiss of wind around her head she lost consciousness again.

She lost twenty six hours unconscious.

Two days now to the wedding and the end of her career in Stark Industries, Pepper watched CNN replay the images of the bank robbery, the date and hour to one corner, and her head hurting. Not really understanding what she as seeing, Pepper saw herself been carried by Iron Man and then up, up and away. When realization sank, she realized she was in a horrible hospital gown, in a horrible hospital bed, windows closed and well covered with thick curtains and her sister sleeping to her side. She groaned, and turned away. The impact of her skull with the wood proved almost fatal, and the pain was exceptional.

Another word for very very bad booboo.

"Viv, Ah, thank god you are awake." Said her sister shooting up from the horrible uncomfortable looking chair. "I'll call the doctor."

"What happened?" Why was she even asking she knew exactly what had happened.

Iron Man saved her life. CNN was expecting to have Tony Stark talk to them... Good luck with that! Eve moved around the room and pressed the nurse's button a few times.

"Don't you remember? You were in a bank robbery."

"Ah, again."

"You were thrown against a desk and lost consciousness. You have quite the concussion. It was a miracle you didn't break your neck." Did they threw her that hard? "Mom is on her way from Florida and Mr. Stark is..."

"Is she awake?" Asked Tony entered the room without knocking. He seemed lost for a second and when their eyes met, he relaxed. "Potts you gave us quite the scare."

Pepper didn't reply, she was stupefied by the hit and his beauty. Manly beauty at that she wouldn't make him less manly for been beautiful. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell." Had the side of her brain that had to be proper died in the accident? _I'm still here_, it murmured sounding sore and tired.

"Well the doctors I got you will make you feel better in no time. You'll see." And so the real doctors entered the room, and explained to her in very complicated words that she apparently was suppose to understand, that what she had was a hell of a concussion and has to rest for the next week or so. That she would be kept for a few more hours but that by the end of the day she could go home. But not be alone just in case she had a fainting episode or something. "not to worry doc, I'll be taking her to my place and treating her like a princess."

She laughed out loud and leaned back to her pillow. This would be fun.

"Ah, no, my parents are flying from Florida and we'll be taking care of her."

Mr. Anthony Stark and Evelyn Potts hated each other's guts.

"Right, your parents can stay in my hose while I take care of her. Thank you."

Pepper turned, and actually sat up.

"I don't' think so, with you and your wedding coming up I think you are more than busy."

Finding her clothing she actually started to dress. The doctor was about to interrupt them when Tony continued.

"No, she's going to my house and there'll be no wedding until she's fully recovered."

Taking a deep breath and pulling her jacket over the ugly hospital gown, Pepper turned to the doctor.

"Ha! As if you could take care of anyone. You can't' even take care of yourself."

Rhodes was the one who stopped Pepper from escaping the room, standing outside just about to knock on the door to see her was surprised to find her waking out of the room.

"Hey where are you going?"

Both Tony and Eve turned to see Pepper trying to leave.

"See? You can't even watch her while in the same room!"

"You were right here with me! You did nothing to prevent this." They screamed at each other as Pepper was dragged back to bed. Rhodes again had to interfere.

"You two stop this! Pepper needs her rest now get out!"

"There is no way in hell I'm leaving her!"

"Go to your own girl, Mr. Stark, I'll take care of my sister."

"I recommend you both leave this room immediately, you are disturbing the patients' rest!" Said the doctor suddenly picking the guts to go against Mr. Stark and the enraged woman.

"You shut up!" Tony and Eve said at the same time.

The door opened and Mrs. Potts entered the room, eyes setting on Pepper quickly. She quickly pushed 

Tony out of the way, along with Rhodey and sat by her daughter. "Honey," She kissed the woman as if a five year old and hugged her. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad." Said Pepper in a little voice that melted Tony's anger, and so he turned to his P.A. and watched. Mr. Potts entered the room, eyeing both Eve and Tony, and kissed his youngest daughter. "Daddy."

"Viv." Said the old man sitting at the other side of the bed, hand cupping Pepper's pale cheek. "What happened?"

"Bank robbery. I'll be fine. I just have a nasty headache." Slowly both Rhodney and Tony were hushed out of the room, along with Eve ("Hey I'm family!"). "I miss you both so much." And as the door closed Pepper saw Tony staring at her from outside, eyes full of something she wasn't sure what it was.

One day for the wedding.

A countdown began in her head as she sat on her bed, hurting everywhere and pampered like a bratty little princess. At the end her parents convinced Tony that they were better suited to take care of her, and although reluctantly, he allowed her to stay in her house. Eve and Daniel had just gotten there, and were handing David to her father. Suddenly the broken image of herself handing a little Stark for her father to hold seemed out of reach yet so beautiful... Tears formed in her eyes but she wouldn't allow them to slip. The child would have inherited her looks, but his brain. He or she would have been so perfect... They would have made beautiful children.

Chuckling softly, Pepper closed her door and headed to her closet. A dark set was selected and after a quick shower, she don it. It was an improvement to her old sets, more expensive and rich looking. White shirt, pants, and a jacket. Just like the one she wore for her job interview at Stark Industries. From her reflection on the mirror Pepper saw Evelyn staring at her from the doorway, a sad expression on her eyes. Pepper gave her a heartfelt smile and turned.

"You are going to do it, are you?"

"Yes." Pepper, no... Virginia swallowed hard and started to fix her hair, but the pain at the back of her head made it impossible for her to create her trademark bun. So she let it loose. "i have to do it."

"Are you sure?"

Again another smile, Virginia walked to her sister and hugged her. "It's alright. It'll be fine. Daddy and I spoke last night and we booked a flight for tonight."

"You are going to Florida?"

"For a while, I might travel around until I decided where to settle." That smile she was giving Eve was devastating. "For now I must do this." And so she picked up her large handbag a white envelope from her dresser and a box from the bedside table. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

And so she left the room. A kiss to her nephew, her father, a quick farewell and Pepper was on her way to do what she had dreaded to do for years now.

Her first stop was the nearest Starbuck. She ordered a caramel latte, a chocolate hazelnut and cappuccino with extra whipped cream, three muffins and enough sugar for an army. The guys at the little coffee shop knew her well and before she knew it she had her order in hand and was on her car again. Driving swiftly and not hitting much traffic, Pepper arrived at the Stark Mansion at eight sharp. As usually she entered the house and greeted Jarvis.

"Shall I summon Mr. Stark?"

"No, I have it. Don't worry."

"Very well ma'am. He's at the workshop, apparently asleep." Carrying the extra whipped cream cappuccino and one of the muffins, Pepper made her way silently downstairs. The glass was darkened and unsure of how to proceed; Pepper punched her code to enter. The glass cleared and she stepped inside. Everything was dark and blissfully quiet. She could make out Tony's limp form over his couch, covered with a towel and snoring softly. Smiling, Pepper settled the cup of coffee and muffin on his desk (over a clean sheet of paper) and moved silently to Tony. With the A.C in high, the room was cold and Pepper found the sheet on the floor. She quickly covered her soon to be ex-boss with it and smiled. He looked so innocent like this... Childlike, what he was suppose to be even when he was pushing close to a middle age crisis (which she wasn't sure this wedding was symptoms of or not). How she longed to actually have pressed her lips to his at the Disney hall. But that could be remedied, right? Pressing her fingers to her mouth she pressed a kiss there and quickly place it on the space she was more than sure was the reactor, humming alive to keep him alive. She loved that little night light more than her own life, because it saved him. She lingered longer than she wanted to and finally turning she walked out of the 

shop. When the door was closed the darkness slowly returned to the glass.

"Jarvis, why does the glass do that?"

"Mr Stark created it so he would have some privacy from Mss. Chandler." Ah, no wonder he brought her back down when they ... _ahem_ made out.

"Oh, I see." And so Pepper walked upstairs, bumping with Rhodey. "Jim, hi."

"Pep, are you feeling better?"

"Better than ever. Here," She said walking to the center table of the living room. "I brought you a caramel latte and a muffin."

"You're a life saver, Potts. Are you going to stick around?"

"No, I have some things to do."

"For the record, if you don't find someone to marry, I'm available."

She laughed. "I'll consider it, alright?"

"Don't' tell Tony, he might kill me."

"My lips are sealed. And so are yours right, Jarvis?"

"Indeed ma'am." Rhodey went away, humming and biting into his muffin. _Goodbye Jin_, she wished to whisper but instead turned away. Pepper picked the box she had brought and clearing her throat moved upstairs. Everything was quiet, exceptionally quiet. And she even wondered if Marie was still living here. Pepper entered her office as quietly as possible, almost as a mice, and closed the door as swiftly. She moved around her desk and decided to leave the place as it was. There was nothing here that could really be taken by here, everything was Tony's... except the frame under the lamp at the side of the desk. She saw herself and Tony, from one of the last whatever ceremonies, taken by Rhodey. She picked the silver frame up, and set her box right in the middle of the desk. There was nothing else she needed from this room. Looking up at the corner hidden from the door, she saw Marie's wedding dress standing proudly on a headless mannequin.

_That it's my dress she'll be wearing!...No it's not fair!_ The words rang on her voice every time she looked at the perfect dress. Today was no different. As she caressed the sleeve of the dress she wondered very deeply in how she had gone so far without breaking down.

"What are you going?" Pepper turned harshly to the voice and saw Marie standing at the door, looking at her quite seriously. Pepper dropped the sleeve of the dress and turned fully to her.

"I was just admiring the dress."

"Listen, Mss Potts I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now; stay away from Tony, alright? He's mine now. NO matter what you do I will be the one marring him, understood?" The words were harsh, painful but not as shocking as Pepper had expect them to be. Pepper smiled and lowered her gaze.

"Marie," She said the name softly, tenderly. "I love tony for such a long time. And I'm not going to even try to take him away. But I hope thatt you realize what a catch you've made. And deep in my heart I hope that he shares with you half of what he shared with me." The other woman stared at Pepper with stone cold eyes. "I brought you a chocolate from Starbucks, it's downstairs, the muffin is also so for you. Now I'm going and I'll be making sure your cake makes it tomorrow here, and then I'll be going to headquarters. After that you'll hear no more of me. I promise." And with that Pepper gripped the photo frame tighter in her hands and walked to the door. She opened it and turned back to the woman. "Congratulations on your wedding." And the P.A. left the fiancée standing eyes wide and surprised in the small office.

Again downstairs, Pepper quickly stuffed the frame into her large bag and while placing the strap around her shoulder smiled. Taking one last long look at the living room tears threatened with bursting from the self imposed damn she'd created. So many memories hid here, in every corner of every possible situation imaginable. They called forth sounds and noises, laughter, tears, messed up dinners, parties, meetings, music, silence, TV., movies, food... Love. Tony.

_Her Tony. _

There was one last thing to do. Fishing her blackberry from her bag, Pepper turned it off and placed it on the arm rest of the sofa and slowly slipped her hand away. Gripping the handles of her bag tightly, Pepper turned and started to walk to the door. "Jarvis, you were a pal."

"Likewise, Mss. Potts. I shall see you soon, drive carefully."

"Thank you for everything."

"My pleasure ma'am."

The door opened for her, one last time, and Pepper Potts was dead.

Virginia slipped outside, and looked at the sunny Californian day with a smile. A few meters away, Happy was washing the limo and upon seeing her he rose his hand to wave.

"Hey Hap,"

"Morning Mss Potts."

"I'll be seeing you around." She said walking past her gray silver Audi, waving back at him. Frowning Happy watched as Pepper walked down the hill and out the gate to the street. This stroke him as odd, but he'd seen so much odd in this household he just shook his head and continued working.

Virginia Potts had been called a woman of power.

There was no better way to explain this than when she stepped into the lobby at Stark Industries Headquarters. Secretaries followed her around and giving her updates of stock holders, meetings, anything that needed damage control. She was like the very CEO in disguise, and very good looking disguise at that. As she walked to her office a few things needed her signature and she obliged them. She would miss this little things. Entering her office, and letting everybody know she wished to speak with Mr. Levits, Head of Human Resources, she found peace on the controlled environment of her private huge office.

Walking to finally seat on her chair, Virginia searched for the House of Cakes phone and called.

"I'm calling for the Stark Wedding Cake."

"yes, ma'am I tried to get a hold of you yesterday but was unable. We had a little trouble and the cake as made entire in devil's food..."

"There's no problem, it's perfect."

"Good, we were so worried."

"Remember to deliver the entire cake at eight sharp to James Rhodes, he'll tell you where to put it. And do not let Mr. Stark get a taste, he might end up eating the whole thing himself before the wedding."

"The other order was it to your liking, ma'am?"

"Yes, very much, thank you. I shall send a little tip to your people for that."

"Our pleasure ma'am. We'll see you tomorrow then?" Virginia smiled.

"Yes. We'll see." And the line went dead. Virginia looked at her desk and opened the first two drawers, nothing personal just pens and clips and staplers. On the bottom drawer she found her address book and shove it into her bag, a bag for emergency make up sessions and a Mentos box. To the other side nothing else required her pick up. But over the desk another picture of herself with Tony, and this time Rhodes was lifted and placed inside her bag. She would miss this place. Tracing her hands over the desk again, Virginia stood up and again melancholy hit her. There were more memories here, specially on the small couch to her left; tony had taken countless naps over it. Ignoring the image that attacked the silence of him sleeping there, Virginia walked out the door almost bumping with one of the other secretaries.

"Mss. Potts, Mr. Levits is ready for you."

"Thank you Valerie, you're a sweetheart." Walking to the Human Resources Office Virginia remember the first time she'd walked this hall. As a simple job hunting, which she hated. Who would have though she would end up Tony Stark's assistant? She knocked on the door and entered; Mr. Levits got up real quick and welcomed her, offering a chair for her to sit. "Actually I'm here in a hurry." She searched her bag, and found the white envelope, placing it over the man's desk. "I quit." The man looked up at her stunned. "And it's irrefutable. Give Mr. Stark my biggest thanks you and that it was a pleasure working with him. The opportunity was greatly appreciated."

"Mss. Potts but..."

"Please." She said lifting her hand, stopping the man. "Please." And then she turned and left. She made it home before lunch, and placed the photo frames around her living room. Her father mentioned she looked good in both pictures and she said that they were old memories of a life long gone by.


	11. The Rescue

Chapter 5: The Rescue

The sound of music blaring to life woke him up. His alarm had been st for 10:30 and good ot his word Jarvis had woken him. He was wrapped with his warm throw and taking a deep breath he frowned, he didn't recalled having covered himself.

"Jarvis,"

"Good morning sir. It's 10:31, the sun is up and the high is 89. Perfect windy day for surfing and sunbathing."

"If only I did." Tony sat up and yawned, looking around. Everything was as he left it last night. "How are the upgrades coming?"

"The new blaster is working perfectly sir."

"Good, I'll call Pepper and let her know it is."

"Mss. Potts was here this morning sir, she left a coffee and muffin for you over the desk."

Hurrying up, Tony found said items on the desk and quickly swallowed the cold coffee. "It's good." He picked the muffin and started to head for the doors.

"Where's JIm?"

"He's at the pool sir."

"Anything else, Jarvis?"

"A message from Mr. Levits of Human Resourses, he seemed pretty anxious and I suggest..."

"I'll let Pep handle it." He finished the coffee and muffin and threw them in the nearest trashcan.

"Sir I highly suggest..."

"Don't worry Jarv, Pep'll handle it."

Upstairs Tony yawned and scanned the room; a Starbucks cup was on the center table with another muffin. And Pepper's Blackbery was over the arm rest. He picked it up as he moved for the other cup, hunger attacking him. "Jarv, call Pepper at her office, she might be going crazy without this."

"Very well sir." The sound of bags been carried made Tony turn and see Marie walking down the stairs, fully dressed and angry. She carried three bags of what he assumed where her things. When here eyes et on him anger was evident; she scoffed. "What's that?"

"I'm leaving you Tony Stark you asshole what does it look like?"

"Is that al your stuff or are you taking some of mine?"

"Listen you bastard, sex was great, money was awesome, but your little lovers quarrel with your secretary isn't fooling anybody! Why don't you go fuck her and leave me alone?!"

"I might just do that. The door is that way and if I'm missing something I'm suing your ass off." And with that he walked to the kitchen. "Women this days. Honestly," A growl of desperation followed and then the front door slammed shut. Yawning, and still holding the Starbucks cup, Tony opened the door to his fridge. The huge pizza box was selected with delight and as it warmed in the microwave, _always have something warm in the mornings_, his father had once said, Happy came in the back door. "Hey, Hap. Morning."

"Mr. Stark, good morning."

"Did you have breakfast, I'm making some."

"Thank you sir, I'm here for coffee actually."

"Help yourself." Tony heard the beeping of the microwave and pulled the pizza out, Happy stared for a second and sipped his own coffee with a smile.

"Sir, Mss Potts came over this morning."

"Jarvis told me, its good to have her back, isnt'?" Tony bit his pizza and sipped what he had discovered to be chocolate hazelnut, pepper's favorite.

"She walked on foot out of the gate when she left."

"What?" He said after coughing to keep from stuffing the pizza into his lungs. "Why did she do that? Where's her car?"

"Outside with the keys int he ignition, sir."

Tony panicked, really did. And picking the Starbucks cup and muffin, he walked to the livin groom, picking the Blackberry up. HE hurried outside and saw Marie standing on the porch, apparently waiting for something.

"You do love..."

"Get out of the way!" And barefoot hurried to Pepper's car. He opened it's door and with his free hand started the engine. It was working in perfect order. Turning off, he took the keys and a box of Mentos she'd apparently forgotten from the passenger's seat. Still calm but knowing something was wrong, he hurried back into the house, where he bumped with Jim but ignored completely as the stairs beckoned. Climbing them by twos he walked down the familiar hallway that lead to her office. There everything was intact, but as he neared the desk he saw the small box over the desk and couldnt' find her picture with him.

The only one he remembered taking.

For a second he was hesitant to open the box, but he was Tony Stark, he could do it. Inside was a small cake, shaped like his arc reactor the words; _Proof that Tony Stark has a heart_written around it. It was from Pepper. He also picked it up and swallowing hard Tony tried two times to speak, finding he had no voice. Fear had taken it away, like the fear he'd felt when that faithful phone call announcing his parent's dead had come...

"Jarvis." He said once his voice returned. "What did the guy from Human resourses wanted?"

"Shall I play the message, sir?"

"Yes, wait no." Pulling everything he carried, along with the cake, closer to his chest Tony sat on Pepper's chair. "Play now, Jarvis."

"Mr. Stark, Henry Levits from Headquarters; I have receive a disturbing letter here sir and I know not how to proceed with it. It's a resignation letter from Mss. Potts..."

And his heart sank. The rest of the message was ignored. Pepper quit.

Pepper quit?

He'd just been dumped! He was suppose to be here nursing his heart to health!

Hey! He said he loved her!, and he really did, and she loved him back! She was suppose to be here! A scream of despair tore from his throat and unable to think straight Tony picked all the items she'd left this morning lying around and walked downstairs. He was aware of Jim finding him in the hallway and following to the workshop; where Tony climbed to the dark cot he'd been sleeping barely an hour ago and curled as best as he could with everything he had in arms. He was talking like and idiot, rambling about Pepper having quit and leaving him alone. Jim was still wit him as he curled in the cot, and stared at him in disbelief.

"If she quitted what are you doing down here? You should be out there finding her and bringing her back."

"I think she hates me."

"Oh please, I hate you, but her... nah, she doesn't hate you, she's hurt. Come on." Jim tried to grab the man but in his current state Tony slapped his hands away.

"You want to eat my stuff!"

"Tony you need to change to go for her, now come on..."

"No! It's my cake!"

Silence. Suddenly Jarvis came up. "Sir, Mss. Potts is not answering her office number and I have found the most disturbing information..."

"What?"

"I found Mss. Potts name in a flight manifest. She is to leave in six hours to Florida. A one way ticket."

Another scream tore from Tony's mouth and he curled against the wall. Jim looked at the man.

"Tony, do you want to get Pep back?"

"Yes."

"Then let go, we have to find her before she leaves."

"I contacted her house but no one is answering sir." Jarvis was talking worriedly so, as if feeling lonely as well. But let's face it, Pepper was the only one that didnt' order him around.

"She must be at her sister's."

"Tony, give me the cup of coffee." Tony looked at the man and handed the empty cup. "Ill just place it here, see, you can have it later. What about the muffin, I swear I won't eat it."

"You'll eat it."

"No, come on, give me the muffin and I'll put it on your desk, so you can eat it later with Pep." That did it, Tony handed him the muffin. "Can I have the blackberry too?"

"No, I'll give it to her when we find her."

"Good, what about the Mentos?"

"Put them with the muffin."

"Alright, see, they are safe at the we'll be eaten with pep side of the desk."

"I ain't giving you this box."

"What's in the box."

"A cake. I'm going to put it somewhere safe so you won't eat it." And Tony uncurled and headed to the platform where the Iron Man suit was. He opened the chest plate and placed the box there. Ordering Jarvis to lower the suit. It vanished, with the cake, underground. "Yeah, I'm feeling better."

"Let's get Pepper."

"Your right." Tony waked to the stairs. "I have to tell her I love her again."

"You _what_?"

"And then we made out until she decided to leave because she couldn't do it. But I tell you Jim if given the chance I would have blown everything up and get her the house in the moon and everything. I even prefer her over my suit. Why are you staring? you seem stupefied too, what's wrong?"

"You talk about this like it is you know the most normal thing in the world."

"Yeah like the Disney event we almost kissed and we didn't but I ditched her... Could it be because of that? Maybe she's still angry."

'And that you brought home a brown whore who tried to marry you."

"Like a golden retriever."

"Sor of."

"She's pisses, ain't she?"

"Probably."

"I should bare gifts when I see her."

"If you don't hurry there won't be much of her to see, man."

"True." Tony made the car go faster, if possible.

"To be such a bright man you sure are dumb, man. Why didn't she do anything that night? Why did you let her go? Why wasn't I informed of any of this?" Demanded Rhodie, apparently angry. "I swear if you harm her I'll make her fall in love with me and steal her far far away..."

Turning deadly serious (an understatement when it came to Stark) Tony looked at Jim. "If you dare lay one finger in her pretty red hair I swear to ... " The breaks were hit so hard the car slid through the highway sideways and Tony revved the engine and took the exit they just missed. People screamed at them, the honks of many cars were heard and Tony just opened his window and started to apologize. "Crap, sorry, sorry!" He then proceed to place the gear in reverse and go back to the exit. Jim wasn't amazed by this, but by his carelessness as he did it.

"What in hell are you doing?" Wondered Jim outloud the hell dragging only as he could drag it. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"She's trying to make us look for her far away, she's home probably with her parents and not answering the phone. Call her!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Call her house!"

"She's not answering sir," Replied Jarvis from the dashboard.

"Of course she's not, she thinks I'm an idiot! I am an idiot but not that idiotic." He kept babbling about how stupid he was but then resumed with the important information. "She knows her sister lives two hours away and while I go find her at her sister's and discover she's home (15 minutes from my place) she'll be gone to Florida already."

"Right, you have one hell of a girl to try and catch man, she though of everything before you did."

"Right, right? She's awesome, and I love her and she quitted!!"

"your gonna get her back, relax." Somehow Tony had fixed the car so it could go faster than the speedometer could really tell. And a cop catch up them. "Uhm, Tony?" The alarm blared after them, and Tony looked at the mirror hanging between them. And instead of slowing down, Tony went faster. "Tony!"

"I already owe the city money a little bit more won't hurt!"

The Audi squealed as Tony brought the engine to death and opened the door quickly. They were parked right in front of Ppper's place and without thinking Tony hurried up the stairs, only to come face to face with Evelyn Potts-(whatever her husband's last name was). Brought to sudden halt, Tony stared at her; eyes impossibly close to Pepper's color, not so tall and red with anger just as his ex-secretary would blush. She was tapping her foot (the right one, not the left one like Pepper) on the ground and arms crossed. They looked so much alike!

"Where's Pepper?" He asked, as Eve's husband appeared from the door behind her, baby on arms and curious about him.

Eve didn't answer, but arched an eyebrow.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Looking for your sister; where is she?"

"Why?"

"I'm loosing time here and I dont' have to explain a thing to you. Did you convince her to quit on me? Of course you did you hate me!"

"No, what do you want Viv for?"

"To ask her if she'll give me my Social Security number back? To tell her to marry me that I love her? What do you want to know?" She went pale, funny that look he'd never seen in Pepper, he would have to fight harder with her, with more not so very proper responses to their bantering in order to get that stare, but didn't lose her cool. "Please tell me where she is, I need her."

And that apparently did it. Of course, he'd used the puppy eyes, the pleading voice...

"I'm not suppose to tell you a thing."

"I'm trying to..."

"I'm not suppose to say she'll be flying at 6:30 to Florida, flight 3478." Tony grabbed her and kissed her square in the mouth, happy to have receive so much information. He then turned and hurried into his car, starting the engine. "Gate 11!" She called as he pulled out of the driveway and away. Eve laughed and turned to her husband, who was frowning at what Stark had done. "What?"

David smiled, and said nothing.

Waiting for the usual check up that now all airlines had to go through, Virginia took a deep breath. One of the good things for having work for Mr. Stark had been not having to stand in line or baggage check. You just walked up to the plane and soared through the skies. Her baggage had already been checked (a few things had been discarded) and messed up it was returned to her. Virginia wasn't sure what tickled her more; the fact that they threw out her most expensive traveling kit or that she was now missing her favorite set of stilettos. Probably the shoes, they were very expensive (another gift from Mr. Stark).

Her mother was delighted she was coming with them for a visit, and wasn't hiding it; they already had plans to visit half of Florida's malls and to visit Lily's friends so Virginia would meet them. Virginia's father well... Jeremy Potts had always been a completely different story; he wasn't sweet unless utterly needed, he was harsh and presented the fact when it came to pain... Virginia had taken a lot after him; his temper, his silence, his neatness, but most importantly his commitment to a single person in life. Jeremy Potts was a saint to put up with a woman that at first hadn't love him, and he'd made sure she was happy through those hateful first years of their marriage. Their marriage was arranged by their old fashioned parents and it had been so inappropriate when it had happened... Jeremy had only told Virginia this painful truth and sworn to silence she could only wonder what would have happened if they hadn't married. Yet Lilly Potss surely enough (yet not quickly enough) fell in love with Jeremy and gave him children. Four actually of which Pepper was the oldest daughter. Her father's pride and joy; but he didn't seem to happy with her coming over for this _visit_.

Now forced to wait for another half hour, and while her mother went out to find some souvenirs for some friends, Virginia sat beside all their luggage (not so much, but still heavy enough) drinking a canned soda. Her father offered her some peanuts and she took a few in silence. Together they sighted and watched as Lilly searched the nearest store. This was their usual thing, watch the others while drinking peanuts and sharing the comfortable silence. But this time it wasn't so comfortable.

"Are you sure about this?" His voice suddenly asked, making Virginia turn to him. "Leave like this without telling him why?" Virginia smiled and looked at the open can.

"I don't know."

"Well Viv, you have to now think on something very important; when you arrive at our place will you be able to look back at what you did and accept it, or will you suffer it for the rest of your life."

"Dad, is only ..."

"Your heart, I know. We Potts suffer of a sickness that I think is in our genes darling; we think the things of the heart with our head."

"Sometimes its a good thing, daddy."

"Yes, sometimes. We haven't had a knocked up 14 year old yet, but darling, haven't you been thinking too much with your head? Doesn't the heart need to make a decision from time to time?" The words surprised her, and Virginia frowned. "When I married your mother I knew she didn't love me. And in here," He said pointing at his temple. "I knew it was wrong, but when I saw her; all dolled up and pretty. Well she stole my heart. I knew, I just knew I had to spend the rest of my life with her. If I worked hard enough I could steal her heart and Viv, I did it." Her mother suddenly turned and waved at her husband, making Virginia smile.

"He said he loved me."

"Is it true? Did he really?"

Virginia nodded, and Pepper stirred from that corner Virginia had dropped her on, giving her for dead. Deep in her mind a phoenix rose and restored life to that body she had so severely beaten because of her love for Tony Stark. She was returning to live, with tears and joy and tears _of_ joy. Jeremy gathered her daughter into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Then by coming with us you are missing that what you wanted, don't you think?" Pepper smiled and in full bloom cried, like she did when she was only a child, in her father's arms.

"Passengers for flight 3478 gate 11, begging boarding." Or something like that was said in the intercom, and repeated in several languages.

"That's _our_ flight," He murmured, kissing her head again. The _our_ wasn't meant for her.

"I know."

Her mother was more vexed to find out she wasn't coming with them, again, but happy. They kissed and hugged and cried. But Pepper remained watching as they walked down the gate and vanished through the long hallway, hand in hand.

At 7:15 Tony's Audi parked in front of the airport and he quickly got out.

"Go get her man!" Cried Rhodney as he ran through the doors. Wearing his tux because it was the only thing he'd found ("It was the first thing you found, right?" Asked Rhodey a while ago, quite true.) he hurried through the first metal detector, making it blare with an alarm. He continued running.

Only to be brought back by two tall security agents through the detector.

"Don't you know who I am?!"

A small tray was placed before him. "Please put all metal items into this dish and take off your shoes." SAid a onl woman, waiting for him to act.

_This could take a while._

Having ditched the guards and crossing two other check points (which he wasn't very sure he was suppose to cross), Tony made his way through the gates, running at top speed. His mind was messed in many ways, probably because of hunger and sadness and fear...

_Are you there God? It's Tony..._

Gate 8 was passed by as his mind ran with calculations with unnecessary math... Thanks to bad management at this airports Pepper was probably still sitting before the gate, waiting, or probably still at the last checkpoint still with her bag... if each checkpoint took with each passenger at least 15 minutes and considering she was way down the alphabetical order he could estimate there was time enough for him to find her before she checked her luggage and lost something important. Or before he lost her. The thought made his legs move faster, bow tie already loose flying to land at some corner as he passed by gate nine.

_I know I haven't searched for you a lot, actually pretty much ignored you.._.

He didn't need math, or money, or food, or oxygen if she was there. He had to turn in a corner and saw in a blur several guard running at the other side of glass doors and windows, apparently searching for him. They were talking through their walkie-talkies and changing their direction to run towards him.

_You took my parents away, and I've wasted years of what could have been a good life away..._

He was in a time frame here! Gate ten was ran by, and tears escaped the back of his eyes, they fell unwilling by their owner, but he couldn't stop now. Not even to clean them away. He needed to reach gate 11, why couldn't people understand this? Some guards screamed at him to stop but Tony ignored them, he would rather face off with the director of departments of security than stop. He rather pay the city millions in speeding tickets and threats with metal objects within the airport than stop. He rather died than stop now.

_But you gave her to me and if you let me have her..._

Gate 11 was spotted at the distance.

_I swear I'll make things right..._

The line he expected to see at gate 11 wasn't there. It was as if that line had never existed. The young stewardess seemed to be checking the flight manifest and busing herself with whatever job she had. Damn this airport and their ability to screw up his mathematics and prove him wrong for the first time. He didn't care, the place was empty. And they were closing the door to the airplane and he was loosing someone, and his heart was breaking.

_Hey wait a minute! I'm Tony Stark!_

"Waitwaitwaitwait!" He brought himself to a step before the girl, panting. "I have to get into this flight, I have to find someone..."

"Sir the flight is already boarded."

"Wait, no, don't let it unlock, I have to find someon..."

"It's too late the flight is already on it's way..."

"No, stop it! I have to get on it and get someone out, It's very important I do so."

"I'm sorry, sir I'ts impossible."

"Nothings impossible for Tony Stark!" And he tried to go through the long corridor leading to the plane, but a couple of guards catch up with him and brough him out. Keeping him away as the girl tried to calm him down and he (not as calmly as he though he was) said he wanted to just quickly sweep the plane for Pepper... "Forget it! I"ll just... I'll sue your asses if you don't... Argh!" And he turned and started to walk away, he passed Pepper as he did, angry and thinking about how to get his Iron Man suit and following the plane all the way to Florida. All he had to do was take off that new blaster and focus of the energy to the boosters and probably he'll be able to inspect the airplane window by window while it flew... Pepper!

Quickly returning he found Pepper sitting besides her luggage, she was staring at him, laughter in her eyes. She had a small bag of peanuts, a small handkerchief and tears in her eyes. She looked beautiful.

Smiling at him, Pepper watched him return to sit by her, his eyes dead set on hers. Her words were playful, meaning to tease him. "Looking for someone?"

"I was." They continued to stare at each other, smiling.

"Whoever it was must have been a hell of a person, you ran past here quite fast."

"The only woman I've ever loved, actually."

There was a deep blush on her face, and he wanted to see it every day for the rest of his life. "She must be a really lucky girl."

"I don't know. I never got to tell her how much she meant to me. How much I love her or how important she was in my life." He laughed. "She's the only one who knows my social security number, and we had quite the make-out session you know?"

She laughed too, and touched his cheek. "I love you." Her father had given her renewed strength and crying while smiling, Pepper cupped his entire face with both hand, slim fingers warming the cold skin. "I don't care if you are married, or if I quited I'll always love you. Even if you are Iron Man I love you." He leaned to hug her, cradling the back of her head tenderly because of her injury there.

"You aren't suppose to be traveling around with this injury Potts."

"I thought I'll take my chances better than facing your marriage."

"I'm not getting married anymore."

"What?" She asked through tears, eyes wide and staring at him. "Why not?"

"I got dumped this morning, isn't that tragic?" Surprise hit her, and they parted.

"What? But what about the guest and the food and the cake, oh my god the cake!" He laughed, Pepper was worrying about trivial things, such stupid things...

"We'll give the food away."

"But the reception..." He laughed.

"I love you Potts."He was surprised with himself, he didn't know he could be so eloquent when it came to matter of the heart. So he let the heart guide the entire thing. "We could get married tomorrow if you want." Her eyes set on his, serious. "What?"

"I can't, my parents just left for Florida." He leaned in and kissed her lips, she hadn't said no, just that her parents were on their way to Florida and she didn't wanted them to miss their union. That made Tony incredibly happy. She stared at him with big blue eyes, and pale cheeks. She was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in his entire life!

"Then we'll announce the rest of the world you and I are an item." Pepper blushed deeper and tony smled. "You're so beautiful." Her eyes widened and a sniffle was heard. "I am horrible at apologizing but if you give me a chance, Potts I swear you won't... You won't ..." She stopped him with a soft kiss.

"I know. I know." She whispered softly, pulling him for a tight hug. His mouth fell on her neck and he whispered _I love __you_'s to her skin. Laughing, loudly so, Pepper held him tight, not wishing to let go. "Is that why you are wearing your tux?"

"Hey it was the only thing I found lying around."

"It was the first thing you found right?" Tony chuckled and kissed her shoulder. Taking her bag in hand they got up.

"Let's go home, Pep." She smiled and nodded, and without warning, Tony picked her up for a lingering kiss. That was stopped when a flash hit them. Worring for paparazzi Pepper pulled away, how come they were found by the harpies so quickly...? They both turned and saw Rhodey with his digital camera pointed at them. "Beautiful guys!"

It wasn't so beautiful when three aiport security gards tagged Tony ten minutes later. But Rhodey laughed all the way throuhg it.

--

Awwww!! I got them together finally!! I hope you guys were expecting that! Hit the review button and write me something would you? I feel your love with every review, and don't deny it, you love me... Thanks for writting, one more chapter and we are done!


	12. The Epilogues

The Epilogue

Placing the new picture of Tony and herself over the desk she thought would never see again, Pepper smiled. They did make a lovely couple, like Rhodey had said. Sitting down, she stared at the pile of papers to her right and then to her computer, where a couple hundred e-mails were waiting for their respective answers. With all the work to be done, specially that lovely speech she had to compose early this morning to apologize to the guess of the wedding that would never take place and the call to the airport for that ahem donation, Pepper decided that she would rather be here that anywhere else. Tony passed by the door, once, twice and then jumped into the office and to her couch.

"Morning, love." He said softly, looking at her from the comfy leather seat. "Did you have breakfast already?"

"Yup."

"Why don't you join me... You said yes? Come on, love, you were suppose to say no and let me woo you to share..."

"Morning guys!" Said Jim entering the office with a box in hand.

"Hey Rhodye." Tony turns away. "Party pooper."

"Pep, what am I suppose to do with these?" He dropped the box unceremoniously so on her desk, she stared at them in disbelief.

"Are those..?"

"Yep, wedding invitations. I sort of forgot to mail them." Sweet sweet Rhodey, trying to help his own way.

"See why I keep him around?" Said Tony from the couch.

"If I might interfere I also forgot to deliver the order for the catering services, and the limousine's never got the call you asked for Mss. Potts."

"Atta boy Jarvis!" Pepper looked up at Jarvis, unable to believe what she just heard. The world was been taken over by machines, and if her guest was correct Jarvis was the one leading them. Thank heavens she had him in good spirits. "Thank guys. You just spare me a lot of work." It was as if the planning for this wedding had never taken place, no wonder no magazines or reporters had ever called her.

"The only thing that did seem to be confirmed is the cake, Mss. Potts." And they all turned to see a truck parking in front of the house and two clumsy bakers pulling out boxes full of cake and plastic stands.

"Oh no, the devil's food..."

"Chocolate? Are you kidding?" Said Tony amazed, Rhodey nodding dumbly beside him. Suddenly the two men turned to each other. They sprinted out of the room to greet the bakers.

"Guys no wait! Maybe we'll receive a full refund if we return the merchandise complete!" Her heel almost double over and Pepper cursed, her eyes suddenly falling on teh white material of the wedding dress at the corner of her desk. _The perfect dress..._She neared the mess of silk and pearls looking at it longingly. Maybe if she tried it on once more...

"Pep, come down and grab a spoon!!" Cried Tony from downstairs waking her from the daydreaming. But it wasn't a daydream anymore.

She could wear this dress someday. Closing the door that lead to the small closet the dress was at, Pepper smiled brightly. Someday dress, you'll see, i'll wear you down that aisle...

The laughter of her unborn children was heard from teh livingroom and smiled, Pepper walked towards the two cildren having cake.

_**The Two Months Later Epilogue**_

As the lights glowed over the audience Pepper cleared her throat, unlike usually, she _was_ the one been interviewed today, and she was used to be not nervous around the camera crew or the directors... But today she was terrified. Double checking her appearance again, and smoothing down the skirt and sleeves of her jacket, Pepper cleared her throat again. One of the directors came over, smiling at her.

"Ok, you'll be on in a minute. Ready?"

"Yes, thank you." She had memorized the lines in her blue cards and had them safely stored in her pocket in case she forgot any phone number (doubtful) or e-mail address. The show's music started and the interviewer a woman wearing a comfortable business suit and snickers started to welcome the viewers back to her show. Pepper took a deep breath and heard her name been mentioned. "Please welcome, Mss. Pepper Potts."

If Tony were here (that he wasn't because hopefully he'd made it to that meeting she send him to) he would said she had quite the fanclub, because most of the people in the audience clapping were men. She stepped into the spotlight, fanfare was played as she neared the desk of the very jolly woman they shared a kiss in the cheek (as if they were close friends) and sat down. They had met earlier and spoken of proper etiquette for them, and it was discussed what question they would be asked, or what shouldn't be ask.

"Welcome, so tell us; what's new at Stark Industries?"

"Actually many things, we are planning on some green solutions for the planet and we have absolutely stepped away from harmful agents for the environment." She continued to answer politely and very cheerfully to each question, although all she wanted to do was stand up and run off. They shared a few laughs, commandatory in her position, and suddenly the owman pressed the earpiece tightly, sort of unable to believe what she was listening. Pepper worried for a second, and discarted the movement as probably the next act not coming up or something.

"And Mr. Stark? Tell us is he a good man?"

"Oh, absolutely." That wasn't one of the questions she was suppose to ask, or answer, and Pepper frowned. She didn't trust tv girls. "He's currently very busy with some new projects that require his full attention..."

"Ask her about them high heels and how fast she can run on them." Said Tony's voice coming from the side of the stage, making Pepper freeze. Loud cheers were heard, and unfreezing, Pepper turned to see the very man of the hour, Tony 'Iron Man' Stark walking casually into the set. She smiled, very politely so, at him but shot daggers at him. What was he doing here!?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Tony Stark!" Louder cheering. And Tony was loving every minute of it, Pepper turned pale and fought to breath and calm down. Neither was working. "Please take a seat."

"Thanks, hey Pep." He sat beside his secretary and smiling, fixed his coat, he was acting weir and as more questions (that weren't suppose to be even asked) were fired and answered smoothly by him he sat at the edge of his seat, leaning casually towards Pepper, hands brushing. She was so used to having his hand so close she didn't pull away, and when she did realized what was happening and pulled her hand away it was too late. Everybody had notice something weir was going on between them.

"So Tony we haven't seen you in the dating scene lately." Commented the woman in sneakers, smiling at them. Tony chuckled, and an alarm went on inside Pepper's head. Damage Control! Damage Control!

_If you value your life, don't answer that question, Tony_. She looked at him, eyes clear and wide with the message. Tony ignored her. Of course he always ignores her.

"Actually I've been busy, very busy." _Good boy_. "But I've been dating, going for a few months now, I tell you she's the woman of my dreams so I have no need to go out find her."

_Can opener! Where is the can opener to bust his iron man covered ego!_

"Really, can you tell us more?"

"I'll do more than tell you. I'll show you." And he leaned into Peper and kissed her, quite deeply too. They shared many kissed in the last three months, some soft, hard, bruising, butterfly kissed, but this one was new. It was soft yet demanding, yet wilding... And she actually held the back of his head gently, leaning onto the kiss demanding more of it.

Until her inner alarm reminded her she was in national television and in front of a few hundred people. No damage control was going to fix this. She pulled away hastily, getting up and against the host's (who was struck dumb) desk.

"Are you crazy? It's national T.V.!"

"I know." He said knowingly, eyes calm and very tender. Unable to pull away, Pepper watched as he got up. "I know." There was a dead silence in the stage and when he suddenly got down in one knee and took her hand, she tried to whimper, really did but no sound came. "Virginia Pepper Potts, would you marry me?" A loud collective gasp followed, and the rest of the world held it's breath along with Pepper and her entire family (that was watching the show anyway). Pepper covered his mouth with her free hand and watched as with his other hand he pulled out a velvet box, and opening it with his fingers showed her a rock over a slim silver band. Pepper wasn't sure why, but she could tell that was his infamous titanium alloy. It was a huge rock, she could dazzle the Hubble with it for crying out loud! It was a diamond, maybe still in the rough, no way that thing was polished. When did he got it?, she'd done his personal expenses reports a few days back and there was no way in hell he'd bought this last week... _You are running with you feeling again, get back to that stage! _Screamed her inner self as tears build in her eyes. Whoever said Pepper wasn't multitasking was lying.

"You are crazy." She murmured, uncovering her mouth for a second.

"Uhm, that's not the answer I was looking for." He smiled, playfully. She laughed and he tugged at her hand. "Hmm, will you?"

Eyes closing and tears rolling down her face, she chuckled. "Yes." He quirky got up, unable to believe her answer and held her tightly to him, lips whispering promises of happiness to come and grateful words, really grateful words. The crowd was cheering, but Pepper didn't hear any of it.

Tony had just proposed to her and she was marring him. And he'd done it in live TV.

_**Take that Chandler!**_

**_--_**

**_Oh, my. That's it's. Hahahaha! I'm free!! Oh but I'm writing more, these two are just hilarious to write about. Thanks for all the reviews, I really felt the love! But keep it coming! Keep it coming! Thanks for reading to the very end... And I don't think I'll be writing a sequel, maybe a one shot of afterwards but ... I don't know, what do you guys think?_**

**_Have a nice day!_**


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